An NHL official was forced to leave Game 7 of the NHL Eastern Conference semifinals between the Toronto Maple Leafs and visiting Florida Panthers after being accidentally hit in the face with a high stick.
It happened 13 seconds into the second period with the game still scoreless. Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola was in the Panthers end looking to clear the puck with Maple Leafs right winger Mitch Marner pressuring him. Mikkola cleared the puck backhanded along the boards, but unfortunately did not realize referee Chris Rooney was skating right behind him. On the follow-through, Mikkola's stick hit Rooney in the face right above one of his eyes.
Referee Chris Rooney gets a stick up high and has left the game, as Garrett Rank replaces him pic.twitter.com/Pey6iFAxad
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 19, 2025
The game was delayed for several minutes while Rooney was treated by medical staff. He was brought to the locker room to receive stitches and did not return.
Being an NHL official can be dangerous, and even through their best efforts, they can still get hurt every once in a while. We hope Rooney is OK.
As far as the game, the Panthers went on to beat the Maple Leafs 6-1 to return to the Eastern Conference finals for the third consecutive year.
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
