NHL ref leaves game on stretcher after colliding with Avalanche player

NHL referee Mitch Dunning was stretchered disconnected of the crystal during a crippled betwixt the Colorado Avalanche and the Philadelphia Flyers connected Monday night.

Dunning was skating distant from the puck erstwhile Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson collided with him successful the archetypal period. Dunning deed the crystal hard and was down for respective moments arsenic trainers and aesculapian unit came retired and attended to him.

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Referee Mitch Dunning, center, is stretchered disconnected the crystal aft an wounded during the archetypal play of an NHL hockey crippled betwixt the Philadelphia Flyers and the Colorado Avalanche, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, successful Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)

He was aboriginal taken disconnected the crystal connected a stretcher.

"Referee Mitch Dunning has been taken to infirmary for precautionary reasons pursuing a collision successful the @Avalanche / @NHLFlyers game," the league said successful a station connected X. "All neurological signs are normal, helium is afloat communicative and tin determination each his extremities."

The crippled was delayed respective minutes.

BLUES PLAYER HIT IN NECK WITH PUCK, KEEPS PLAYING BEFORE EVENTUALLY BEING STRETCHERED OFF

Referee Mitch Dunning, bottom, lies connected the crystal aft an wounded during the archetypal play of an NHL hockey crippled betwixt the Philadelphia Flyers and the Colorado Avalanche, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, successful Philadelphia.  (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)

Dunning is simply a erstwhile nonrecreational hockey subordinate successful the Ontario Hockey League. He played parts of 3 seasons with the Sarnia Sting and Windsor Spitfires. He suffered a superior genu wounded during the 2010-11 play with the Spitfires.

He retired from hockey aft helium played for Windsor University during the 2012-13 play and turned to coaching earlier yet getting into officiating successful the Windsor Essex Referee Association successful 2014.

He worked his mode up the officiating ladder done the OHL, East Coast Hockey League, American Hockey League and aboriginal the NHL. He was offered a insignificant league refereeing declaration successful 2018 and promoted to the NHL successful 2022.

Colorado Avalanche's Josh Manson (42), right, talks to referee Mitch Dunning, center, arsenic Dunning is stretchered disconnected the crystal aft an wounded during the archetypal play of an NHL hockey crippled betwixt the Philadelphia Flyers and the Avalanche, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, successful Philadelphia.  (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)

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Dunning’s archetypal NHL crippled was betwixt the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators successful March 2019, according to his NHL Officials Association bio.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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