Player takes out referee in the corner and breaks his arm.
An angry player lays a full on body check on a defenseless referee in the corner and breaks his arm.
The sport of hockey can be physical and even violent at times, but one group on the ice that is supposed to be protected from that level of physicality are the on-ice officials overseeing the games.
Unfortunately referees sometimes get caught in the crosshairs of an errant puck or a falling player and they can get injured, but it is truly rare to see a referee deliberately targeted by a player.
That is sadly exactly what we got over the weekend however when hockey player Casper Gilberg appeared to intentionally target a referee during a game held in Sweden's 3rd division of hockey. Although Gilberg has denied that the blow to the referee was intentional, he did complain of the official's positioning during the game and the video replay appears to be pretty damning.
To make matters worse the official in question had to be taken to hospital where he was treated for the broken arm he suffered as a result of the hit. The official was of course not wearing any protective equipment at the time and therefore his body took the full force of the blow and the impact along the boards.
No word yet on what the future holds for Casper Gilberg but you have to believe that a lengthy suspension or ban is forthcoming based on the video evidence.