The NHL had to change referees inGame 7of theFlorida Panthers-Toronto Maple Leafsseries because of an injury to Chris Rooney. Rooney was hurt 13 seconds into the second period when he caught an errant stick from Niko Mikkola in the face. The Panthers defenseman was clearing a puck and accidentally hit Rooney on his follow-through. The referee's helmet was knocked off and he fell to the ice, grabbing his face. He stayed down for minutes and a stretcher was brought onto the ice. Referee Chris Rooney took a follow-through from Niko Mikkola and needed assistance getting off the ice 🤕pic.twitter.com/CsG1rBCO2B — Gino Hard (@GinoHard_)May 19, 2025 Rooney eventually got up and left the ice with assistance as a towel was held to his face. TNT reported in the third period that Rooney needed stitches above his eye and wouldn't return to the game. The NHL carries backup officials at games and Garrett Rank took Rooney's place. The game was scoreless at the time, but the Panthers scored three quick goals afterward on the way to a6-1 winand third consecutive trip to theconference final. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Referee Chris Rooney leaves NHL playoff game after being hit by stick
