NHL ref gets his leg crushed sideways in Montreal tonight

A frightening scene unfolded during Tuesday night's game between the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres when NHL official Ryan Daisy suffered what appeared to be a serious ankle injury after an accidental collision involving Sabres forward Jiri Kulich.

The incident left Daisy in obvious distress, forcing him to leave the game with assistance from others on the ice. The injury looked particularly gruesome, with Daisy's ankle appearing to bend awkwardly after Kulich fell onto it during the play.

Although hockey fans are accustomed to seeing players suffer devastating injuries during the course of an NHL game, seeing an official go down in such a manner is an unsettling sight. Daisy appeared unable to put weight on the injured leg and needed help getting off the ice, raising immediate concerns about the severity of the injury.

Fortunately, the incident appeared to be entirely accidental, with no indication that Kulich intended to injure the official. In the fast-paced environment of an NHL game, players can lose their balance and fall in unpredictable ways, occasionally resulting in frightening collisions like this one.

For now, the full extent of Daisy's injury remains unclear, and it would be premature to speculate about a specific diagnosis without confirmation from the league or medical personnel.

The hope, of course, is that Daisy will be able to make a full recovery. Officials are an essential part of every NHL game, and they face many of the same physical risks as the players they officiate.

It was an unfortunate and scary moment in Montreal, and hopefully the veteran official will be back on the ice before too long.