24 year old referee dies in horrific and tragic hockey accident.

Some incredibly bad luck has cost this young man his life.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 7 years ago
24 year old referee dies in horrific and tragic hockey accident.
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Often the on-ice officials are the most overlooked part of our game, especially when they are very good at their jobs, but unfortunately the harsh realities of our physical sport apply to them just as much as they do to any player.

In a truly tragic bit of news, the Czech Ice Hockey Federation has announced that Pavel Lainka, a 24 year old and by all accounts a promising up and coming referee, had died after being struck by a puck to the head.

It appears to have been a freak accident that caused Lainka's initial injury, with a shot somehow finding it's way under his protective visor and striking him directly on the temporal bone on the side of his skull, he would later succumb to his injuries in hospital.

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There have been reports that referee's from around the world will wear black armbands as a symbol of mourning, but nothing official has come out in that regard just yet. 

Our thoughts go out to the Lainka family, who must truly be distraught to have lost so young a man in such a terrible tragedy. 

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