NHL referee Chris Rooney is reportedly expected to return to the Stanley Cup playoffs soon. This comes after he suffered a black eye during Game 7 of the series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers due to being struck by a high stick. Multiple reports indicate that Rooney`s injury was not serious or expected to cause long-lasting damage.
The incident, which looked concerning, occurred early in the second period on Sunday. Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola was attempting to move the puck along the boards when his stick inadvertently hit Rooney in the face. The official immediately fell to the ice, and players quickly alerted the trainers as blood became visible.
Trainers attended to Rooney on the ice for several moments. By the time Rooney was helped off the ice, holding a towel to his face, there was blood covering the ice surface and boards in the area where he was struck. This highlighted the severity of the impact.
Despite the injury, Rooney was able to leave the ice under his own power. According to the TNT broadcast covering the game, he received stitches for a cut above his eye. Referee Garrett Rank stepped in to replace Rooney for the remainder of the game after the injury.
Rinkside commentator Brian Boucher conveyed that defenseman Mikkola expressed “surprise” upon learning that it was his stick that had hit Rooney in the face. After Rooney`s departure and before play resumed, the ice crew spent several minutes cleaning the blood from the ice.
Elton Marrow 
Torin Vale