NHL referee Mitch Dunning was stretchered off the ice during the first period of the Avalanche-Philadelphia Flyers game after a violent collision with Colorado defenseman Josh Manson.
Dunning was skating backwards near the Flyers’ blue line when Manson came off the bench and appeared to not see Dunning as the two collided. The NHL official stayed on the ice for several minutes and was tended to by the Flyers’ medical staff. He was placed in a neck brace and loaded onto a stretcher.
The game was delayed for several minutes as players took a knee while Dunning was being treated.
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The NHL said Dunning was taken to a hospital for precautionary reasons and that all neurological signs are normal and has movement in all his extremities.
Dunning is a former professional hockey defenseman who played parts of three seasons in the OHL. He later shifted into officiating and was promoted to full-time NHL status in 2022.
The game continued with one referee and two linespersons.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
