It’s been a difficult year for hockey referees and linesmen.
Since the 2015-16 season began across all leagues, an NHL linesman was concussed from a cross-check by Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman, a ref was hit in the crotch with a beer can and a junior hockey linesman was tackled by a trainer after punching a player.
The latest craziness involving an official happened in Canadian junior hockey this week when Olivier Marcotte of the Junior AA League’s Sherbrooke Hockey-Experts got into a wrestling match with a linesman. The 21-year-old forward also allegedly spat in the linesman’s face.
Marcotte and the linesman eventually threw each other to the ice. Shortly after, Marcotte was arrested on the ice by Quebec police.
Stick tap to Robert Söderlind (Twitter/@HockeyWebCast)
