Pro hockey player slams referee into boards and gets massive suspension
Being a hockey referee is a tough job on the best of nights. It also carries its fair share of danger.
That was made evident last Saturday when AHL forward Adam Beckman destroyed a referee midplay. Beckman, who seemed to be focused elsewhere, ran through the official and sent him flying right into the boards.
While there didn’t seem to be any bad intentions, it was quite a violent collision. Beckman was quick to check on the referee and seemed apologetic.
The referee managed to get up under his own power and, while shaken up, seemed to avoid the worst-case scenario.
I see the few seconds leading up to the incident edited down. Here’s the few seconds before the contact. https://t.co/yf32AvTWE4 pic.twitter.com/rKybdiDAgT
ā Ben Birnell (@BB_URSentinel) April 9, 2025
Beckman has just 26 penalty minutes in 55 AHL games this season and is listed at 6-foot and 182 pounds.
While Beckman was not given a penalty on the play, he did receive a lengthy suspension after the game.Ā Rule 40.3 in the AHL’s rule book says that any player who “deliberately applies physical force to an official in any manner” should be suspended for 10 games. Intent does not matter, and therefore, Beckman was handed a 10-game suspension. The suspension does not prevent the Islanders from calling him up to play NHL games.
Since his team has just five games left this year, Beckman has been suspended through the end of the season, and for the next five games, he’s on an AHL roster. He’s a restricted free agent at the end of this season, so it remains to be seen when those last five games will be served.
The 23-year-old was originally picked by the Minnesota Wild in the third round of the 2019 draft. He played 23 NHL games for the Wild before being traded to the New Jersey Devils. He was then traded again to the New York Islanders earlier this year.
Beckman has seven points in 12 games with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders. The team has been the worst in the league and has a terrible 15-45-7 record. They trail the second-worst AHL team by 15 points in the standings.
While rare, collisions between players and referees happen at all levels and sometimes result in scary situations.