NHL Referee Chris Rooney Bleeds Profusely After Taking Stick To Eye
Official Hit In Face During Game 7 Of Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs Playoff Series
An NHL referee sustained a pretty nasty injury in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup playoff series between the Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Chris Rooney was down low in the corner with the Maple Leafs on the forecheck. As Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola was attempting to clear the puck, his stick flew up and caught Rooney near his right eye.
The referee immediately grabbed his face, fell to the ice, and started bleeding profusely.
The play happened just 13 seconds into the second period of a scoreless tie. Rooney left a lot of blood on the ice. He was eventually stretchered off the ice and Garrett Rank took his place.
Fortunately, Rooney was responsive and exhibited no other signs of injury besides the gash.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 7: Referee Chris Rooney #5 officiates his 1500th NHL game, the most by an American official during a game between the Boston Bruins and the Edmonton Oilers at the TD Garden on January 7, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Rich Gagnon/Getty Images)
Shortly after Rooney’s departure, the Panthers built a 3-0 lead thanks to goals from Seth Jones, Anton Lundell and Jonah Gadjovich. The winner of this game will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals.