NHL referee collides with Fleury, exits on stretcher
PITTSBURGH — Longtime NHL referee Steve Kozari left the ice on a stretcher Saturday after colliding with Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Haydn Fleury during the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 5-4 victory.
The collision took place at center ice with 13:49 remaining in the game at PPG Paints Arena. Fleury stood back up and skated off the ice and over to the Lightning locker room, while Kozari lay motionless while the training staffs of both teams tended to him. Fleury did not return.
A member of the NHL Officials Association since 2003, Kozari, 50, “was transported to UPMC Mercy Hospital for precautionary reasons,” according to a statement released by the NHL after the game. He was “conscious and alert,” the statement added, including that he had “use of all of his extremities” and was “expected to make a full recovery.”
On “Hockey Night in Canada” on CBC later Saturday night, it was reported that Kozari was scheduled to work the game Sunday between the Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres, but that he will now be replaced.
“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,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. “But at the last second, they collided and I believe they hit helmet to helmet, so it was really a scary collision. 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.”
Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper concurred.
“That was tough to watch,” he said. “But [Fleury], 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.”
In the win, Michael Bunting snapped a tie with 5:28 left in the third period as the Penguins moved into a playoff spot. Evgeni Malkin had two goals and an assist for Pittsburgh, and Bunting also had two assists. Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang also scored.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Alden Gonzalez
The San Francisco Giants, suddenly back in the playoff race with two weeks remaining in the regular season, called up their top prospect Bryce Eldridge, the team announced Monday.
Eldridge, a 20-year-old first baseman who was No. 29 in the latest prospect rankings by ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, will seemingly fill the role vacated by fellow left-handed hitter Dominic Smith, who went on the injured list because of a hamstring strain over the weekend.
The 16th pick out of high school in 2023, Eldridge surged in Double-A at the start of the season and was slashing .249/.322/.514 with 18 homers, 88 strikeouts and 28 walks for the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate. His strikeout rate remained high of late, but his production improved over these past 17 games, during which he boasted a .294 batting average with 10 extra-base hits.
The Giants were using Rafael Devers at first base and designated hitter, with Smith and the right-handed-hitting Wilmer Flores essentially platooning at the other spot. Eldridge will be playoff eligible.
After acquiring Devers in the middle of June, the Giants went 13-22 heading into the trade deadline at the end of July, prompting the front office to deal veteran players. As of Aug. 22, the Giants were seven games below .500 and 7½ games out of the final National League wild-card spot, but they have since won 14 of 20 games and trail the slumping New York Mets by only 1½ games with 13 remaining.
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