Hockey fights happen all the time, but it is truly rarely when an official becomes involved in the imbroglio. Last night's Minnesota Wild game against the Vancuver Canucks saw that scenario when Cal Clutterbuck, who was involved in fisticuffs with Maxim Lapierre, punched the linesman int he face as seen in this video from gwyshynski:
↵
The Wild did go on to record and important 5-1 victory and move to second place in the Northwest Division. Clutterbuck was cited in the game wrap by Nucks Misconduct as a difference-maker in terms of hits, and that doesn't even count the one he had on the official:
↵↵↵The Canucks came out hitting, a 3rd and 4th line shift where I thought everyone got one in. Weise and Lapierre ended the first with 2 each, but the Wild out hit them 13-9. Cal Clutterbuck made the boards rattle a couple times and somehow got credited with 4 hits. Typical.
↵
For the record, the official was fine despite the punch.