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NHL official leaves on stretcher after cheering Bruins fans break glass

An NHL off-ice official was involved in a scary moment during the Bruins-Hurricanes game on Friday.
An NHL off-ice official was involved in a scary moment during the Bruins-Hurricanes game on Friday.

A scary scene transpired during the second period of Game 3 of the first-round NHL playoff series between the Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.

After David Pastrnak scored to give the Bruins a 3-1 lead, the home fans were excitedly banging so hard on the glass of the penalty box that a pane came detached and fell right on top of timeout coordinator Joe Foley.

The official fell to the ground and needed the assistance of trainers and medical staff, who rushed to the penalty box to remove the glass pane and help him. The game was delayed as officials checked with the league to see if they should stop the period and add on the remaining five minutes to the third. The NHL decided to keep going, but made sure time was taken to tend to Foley and ensure he was getting off the ice safely.

Foley appeared woozy but was aware of where he was and was removed from the game on a stretcher to be evaluated. He was taken to a hospital for precautionary reasons, per Boston Globe reporter Matt Porter.

Players from both teams skated over to Foley to check on him, with Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron and teammate Pastrnak taking more time with the penalty box keeper to wish him good luck. After the game, Pastrnak told reporters he heard Foley was doing OK.

This was a freak accident, but it shows how dangerous it is for fans to bang hard on the glass during games. Perhaps Boston fans will now know to go a bit easier with their celebrating moving forward.

The Bruins held on to defeat the Hurricanes 4-2 to trim their deficit to 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday in Boston.

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