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Referee Steve Kozari Collides With Hayden Fleury (With Replay)



There was one replay that ESPN+ featured. Not a great view but here it is.

Uploaded by Alyssa Hope

Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/c/AlyssaHope

Alyssa Hope Twitter: @_alyssa_hope

All rights go to the NHL. I do not own the music and the footage used in this video. For entertainment purposes only.

44 Comments

  1. This ref gets laid out for real ,but a soccer player gets touched and falls down like hes been shot. Hockey players , including the refs and linemen are the toughest in the hardest sport in the world.

  2. I’m a little surprised the ref would be in the middle of the ice like that, not even close to the boards— anyone know if that’s typical for the ref trailing the play?

  3. Its a tough situation and its kind of surprising it does not happen more often, both have their eyes on the play and the player does not really expect to run into a ref because expectations are refs are good at avoiding any sort of contact to players or puck. Tunnel vision and the ref has no clue theres even another player behind him

  4. It seems the players felt OBLIGATED to approach the ref as he was being rolled out of the ice. Like, "We better pretend that we care cause it might play against us in the future". ..lol

  5. Thanks a big body hitting a smaller man with minimal padding. Hate to see it hoping for the best ❤ officials do not get enough credit at all levels

  6. Too bad however what the heck is he doing in the middle of the ice especially when the game flow is changing.

  7. I think it’s fair to say that being a ref in hockey is tougher than being a ref in any other sport, simply because of the fact that you have to be on skates, and constantly keep your head on a swivel.

    Football (not soccer) is probably a distant second, especially when you’re the ref standing right in the middle of the field catching penalties before the play, as well as the sideline judge, who might get in the way of the players running out of bounds.

  8. So helpful to have a young lady–not some guy who actually played in the NHL or reffed NHL games–explaining what happened so clearly and gently and nicely.

  9. Man, that was rough. On top of everything else it looked like Fleury nearly fell face first on Kozari's left skate. Thank god that didn't happen.

  10. Saw this live and it was pretty scary, nobody saw what happened we just heard the whistle blow and the ref looked like he was dead for a minute with Fleury also shaken up. I know it was a head injury but officials don’t have enough padding to brace for unexpected collisions with players.

  11. That’s something you NEVER want to see happen. Thank goodness he regained consciousness, and prayers for a full recovery. Super scary.

  12. This is why having female refs calling NHL games should never happen. In the same situation a female would've gotten completely demolished and be gone for who knows how long and the player would have to feel bad for a long time for bulldozing a woman.

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