NHL Ref Sustained A Career Ending Injury And Is Set For Surgery After Collision With Avalanche Defender…..Read more

Unbeknownst to him, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson clipped referee Mitch Dunning on his approach to the right wall in the offensive zone. After the unintentional collision, Dunning collapsed to the ice, clearly suffering from severe injuries.

While the Avalanche training team assessed Manson, they had to get Dunning off the ice and bring him to a local hospital after he remained there for a few minutes. Some indications of Dunning’s ability to move his hands and feet were noted as he was being attended to on the ice. After the hit, Manson made careful to see how Dunning was doing and even spoke to him briefly before he was lifted from the ice and sent to the hospital.

Fortunately, a local Philadelphia hospital is taking care of Dunning. After the game, NHL Public Relations updated their x account on his condition. He supposedly has full range of motion in all of his limbs and is able to communicate with medical personnel.

“Referee MitchDunning has been taken to hospital for precautionary reasons following a collision in the Avalanche/Flyers game,” the team said. “All neurological signs are normal, he is fully communicative and can move all his extremities.”

Following the accident, the update is a welcome change of pace. The occurrence of such a play is always terrifying. But it seems that this accident won’t have any lasting effects on Dunning or Manson.

As of this writing, the Avalanche have not resolved their Central Division standings dilemma. So far in the season, the squad has a record of 10-9, good for fourth place. In front of the Avalanche are the Winnipeg Jets, the Minnesota Wild, and the Dallas Stars; the race for first place in their division is sure to be a fierce one.