April 6, 2024: Referee Steve Kozari was injured in a center ice collision with Tampa’s Haydn Fleury during Saturday’s game between the Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins.
More at Scouting the Refs: https://scoutingtherefs.com/2024/04/44581/referee-steve-kozari-injured-in-collision-at-bolts-pens/
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3:50 – Replay of the collision between Tampa's Haydn Fleury and referee Steve Kozari
You got that up quick man! I'm unfortunately coming off my pain medicine so I'm not watching the Pens game but I pray that he's okay. Thank you for putting this up and being one of the only ones so far
Steve is my uncle
He kept his head turned in the opposite direction knowing Fleury was to his right, then skates right into him. Why wouldn't he go the other direction, and most importantly why wouldn't he even look where he was going if even for just a split second? It's literally human nature to look where we are going so it had to be intentional. Nothing was happening that two linesman couldn't see that made it necessary for Kozari to skate right into Fleury like that
I think hilariously ironic that you have a sport where it’s expected for players to fight each other but then shows concern about injured people. Just last week you had two entire teams just start beating the shit out of each other when the puck dropped, yet this everyone is so concerned for someone’s safety
I was at this game and it was dead silent
what a freak accident. sending positive vibes stripes! 🙏🏼
He should have gotten a 2 minute minor for interference.
Best wishes Steve. 🙏
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 that is so fucking funny hahahaha
Why is an official at center ice? Aren't they supposed to stay along the boards as much as possible?
Fleury is also lucky he didn't get cut by a skate when Dumba backed into him while he was down.
NHL, CHL and Canadian (not sure about US leagues) college officials all put themselves in this position in the middle of the ice near the center line in the fastest version of the sport with 14 people on the ice (not counting goalies here). Stay near the boards. Or at least off to one side or the other. But the referees (not the linespeople) are out there like it's Sunday afternoon public skate! If you're walking down the freeway eventually you're going to get trucked!
Its incredible this does not happen more often. NHL refs are a separate breed. The game is so fast and the amount of abuse they take for missing a call is unheard of. To be able to keep up with the play takes an incredible amount of fitness and cooperation between the brotherhood. Hope he makes it back on the ice for the playoffs.
The NHL says he was conscious and alert on the way to the hospital with the use of all his extremities, and that he is expected to recover fully.
Happy to hear this good news.
Reminds me of Shanahans.
this looks staged for ratings, during play officials have no reason to be at center ice, if this were to be after dropping the puck from a faceoff, or in the corner or behind the net with the official trying to see if the puck went in the net and have a collision, never ever saw an official ever casually during play skate to center ice without looking at what came toward him, irresponsible on the officials part, he wants his insurance money.
thats what happens when you dont call a fair game
Cool to see how quickly the pen's trainer rushes to help Kozari and how Crosby jumps of the bench to make sure the trainer doesn't fall as he runs to help
Blind ref… what else is new….