Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment has surprisingly avoided any form of punishment after being caught on camera striking the referee with his stick.
Marchment was playing for the Stars in their Game 3 Stanley Cup second round win over the Winnipeg Jets, but the victory was overshadowed by a moment of madness from the Canadian NHL star.
As his frustrations grew over a perceived lack of support from the referees on the ice, he got up from being knocked down by a rival player and approached official Graham Skilliter.
In a shocking moment, Marchment appeared to swipe at the ref’s shins with his stick before making his way off the ice.
While the strike was not overly aggressive, it is extremely rare to see a player take such action against an official and many believed Marchment was going to be set for a lengthy ban and a hefty fine.
Incredibly, though, Skilliter in the moment decided that the incident did not constitute Abuse of Official, and it is understood the NHL also won’t take action against the player.
Mason Marchment falls to the ice after an incident involving a Winnipeg Jets player
He then approached the ref and in a moment of madness struck him in the shin with his stick
Marchment was involved in a fight with Adam Lowry of the Jets in Game 2 of the series
At the start of the third period, reporters at the game revealed that Marchment verbally apologized to the ref before the puck drop.
Abuse of Official violations are rare in hockey but can result in up to a 20-game suspension.
Young Chicago Blackhawks superstar Connor Bedard was recently given a 10-minute game misconduct penalty for abuse of an official.
In the game itself on Sunday, Marchment and the Stars beat the Jets to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
Dallas is looking to advance to the Western Conference Final for the third straight season and is currently in the driving seat to make it.
