Scary scenes occurred in Monday’s game between the Colorado Avalanche and Philadelphia Flyers, involving referee Mitch Dunning, who was removed from the game on a stretcher and brought to hospital.
The incident happened in the first period when Dunning collided with Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson. Manson tried to join play in the offensive zone, and he and Dunning didn’t see each other as they undoubtedly accidentally collided.
Play was stopped, and Dunning was brought out from the ice on a stretcher. The game continued with one referee and two linesmen.
“I didn’t even see it,” Flyers coach John Tortorella said after the game, per NHL.com. “But I believe the report I got on my desk after the game, I think all extremities … we were concerned that he was struggling with his arms, he didn’t have any feeling in his arms. That’s what was told to me. But I think he’s OK.”
Injury update on Mitch Dunning
Dunning was taken to a hospital for precautionary updates, and late last night, the NHL issued an update on the referee, saying, ”All neurological signs are normal, he is fully communicative and can move all his extremities.”
Mitch Dunning made his NHL debut in March 2019 and is in his seventh season as an NHL referee.
”I actually haven’t even seen it yet,” Cale Makar, who scored two goals in Colorado’s 3-2 win, said postgame.
”I haven’t watched it. I just got back to the bench, and then next thing I looked out and I saw ‘Mans’ was kind of holding his face, and then the ref is on the ground. I assumed a collision, but I haven’t seen it yet. So hopefully he’s all right.
”You never want to see that happen, especially on an accident like that. Very tough. So yeah, hopefully he’s OK.”
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