Winter Olympics referee takes his job too seriously

When the NHL announced its players wouldn’t participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics, some worried that hockey would be less entertaining.

Until one official set out to prove doubters wrong.

With 1:40 remaining in the first period of a group stage match between the United States and Slovakia, a scrum for the puck ensued in front of the net. In the heat of the moment, referee Tobias Wehrli of Switzerland climbed on top of the goal for a birds-eye view.

This ref is SO extra pic.twitter.com/DZSj6ZrL3j

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) February 16, 2018

After all, positioning is everything in hockey. While the puck didn’t cross the line, Wehrli raised the bar for other hockey officials as the Olympics continue to play out.

Team USA defeated Slovakia 2-1 on Thursday behind two goals from Harvard’s Ryan Donato. The team will have a chance to win its group in a matchup against Russia on Saturday.

Related

Brent Brennan bought shots for a full bar of Arizona fans: ‘It was a good 5 minutes’Sam Leavitt gets rejected by the rim as touchdown celebration goes awry vs. AuburnCharles Barkley gets to try ‘Who He Play For?’ again, and againKoby Brea drains 3-pointer without a shoe on during Suns preseason gameDillon Brooks is up to more shenanigans, once again with Benny the BullCam Skattebo’s helmet just can’t hang; former Sun Devil crashes into Jameis Winston