Referee Takes Skate Blade to Face During European Hockey Game (Video)

A European hockey referee narrowly avoided a very serious — and very bloody — injury earlier this week.

During the finals of the European Trophy tournament, won by Finland’s JYP Jyväskylä over Swedish club Färjestad BK, Färjestad forward Marius Holtet lost his balance as he fought for the puck in front of the crease. Holtet’s right skate shot up in the air just as one of the refs came swooping in to monitor the puck, and the blade ended up clipping the official right on the chin.

The ref went down to the ice immediately, but the injury was not as severe as it originally appeared to be. He suffered only a minor facial scratch, which was patched up on the bench, and promptly returned to the game.

Looks like hockey players aren’t the only tough guys on the ice.

Check out the narrowing scene in the video below, with a stick tap to Puck Daddy.

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