Major update on Steve Kozari after horrific injury during Pens game

The Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators will start their playoff series tonight. For game one, veteran NHL referee Steve Kozari will be making his return after he suffered a serious injury in the regular season.

Kozari was injured earlier this month in a game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning. He inadvertently collided with Lightning player Haydn Fleury and was completely blindsided, falling to the ice unable to protect himself.





The veteran official was eventually stretchered off the ice as a precaution, but luckily he was okay. However, he did not appear in another game for the remainder of the regular season. Tonight he will make his return as he is one of the two referees for game one between the Canucks and Predators.




The Canucks are the favorites to win the series, but the Predators had one of the strongest second halves in the entire NHL, securing their unlikely playoff spot. They could very well give the Canucks a run for their money in this one.