NHL provides update on referee Steve Kozari after scary collision.

Referee Steve Kozari’s condition has been updated by the National Hockey League in the wake of a terrifying occurrence that occurred during yesterday’s game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins prevailed 5-4 in a crucial game that had significant playoff ramifications for the Pens on Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh. The contest was highly significant. Unfortunately, Kozari was knocked unconscious when Lightning defenseman Haydn Fleury collided with him, helmet to helmet. Kozari fell back and hit his head on the ice. Following the collision, Fleury left the game after being shaken up on the play, and the NHL official was stretchered off the ice.

Both head coaches—Jon Cooper of Tampa and Mike Sullivan of Pittsburgh—spoke about the situation after the game from their respective benches. Both expressed much anxiety, and it was clear from their remarks that even as a coach, the game moves quickly.

“I caught it out of the corner of my eye. Tampa’s defenseman … was coming off the bench. I think both of them were looking at the puck, as was I. So I caught it out of the corner of my eye. But at the last second, they collided and, I believe, they hit helmet to helmet, so it was really a scary collision because I don’t think Steve had the ability to break his fall when he fell to the ice. We certainly hope he’s going to be OK. That was a scary moment in the game.”

“That was tough to watch. We’ve had, between that one and [Tampa Bay defenseman Mikhail] Sergachev, we’ve had some tough instances to see that happen. But ‘Fleur,’ I went into the locker room during that pause. Naturally, he was a little shook up. It was just one of those plays that was kind of a freak accident. But hopefully, both guys will be OK.”
-Cooper on the collision that brought play to a screeching halt

An experienced NHL official, Kozari has called 136 playoff games in addition to 1,151 regular season games in the league. In addition, he has refereed four Stanley Cup Finals, an honor normally reserved for the NHL’s most dependable referees.

As a precaution, Kozari, 46, was taken to a hospital in Pittsburgh after the incident. The National Hockey League used social media on Saturday night to provide fans a crucial update on Kozari’s condition.

“Referee Steve Kozari was transported to UPMC Mercy hospital for precautionary reasons after a collision with Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Haydn Fleury in the third period of the Penguins-Lightning game this afternoon. Kozari is conscious and alert, has the use of all of his extremities and is expected to make a full recovery.”

After over eighteen hours of intense anxiety from the players, coaches, fans, and media, it’s encouraging to see that Kozari is doing well and is expected to fully recover from his injury. You can understand Kozari and wish him well in his recuperation given everything we know and don’t know about catastrophic brain injuries.