NHL referee goes tumbling to the ice after getting hit in the groin with the puck

NHL referee Justin Kea was in the wrong place at the wrong time on Sunday afternoon, standing in the line of fire as a puck came at him and hit the official directly in the groin.

Near the end of the Western Conference clash between the Vancouver Canucks and the Utah Hockey Club was when the incident occurred.

Utah's Alexander Kerfoot was trying to clear the puck out of his team's defensive zone, as the Canucks had an empty net, trying to tie the game late with their opponents up one.

Kerfoot attempted to get the puck away from Vancouver's Conor Garland. Standing in the line of the clearance was Kea in the fast moving game, as he took the rubber to his manhood.

Kea keeled over immediately and the game was stopped as medical personnel tended to him.

After a few minutes down on the ice, Kea got back to his feet and finished the last 84 seconds of the game.

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Kea was no doubt trying to stay out of the way of the game, especially in a critical juncture. He was unsuccessful during Sunday's third period. He was likely wearing some sort of athletic supporter to minimize the damage.

Utah did defeat the Canucks 2-1, the same score when Kea was hit in the family jewels.

Kea was promoted to a full-time referee for the first time before the beginning of this NHL season.

Before he was a referee, he was selected in the third round of the 2012 NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres.

Kea spent time in the American Hockey League and East Coast Hockey League in his five year professional playing career.

Kea was hired an NHL minor league referee's contract in 2021 and has made his way up the hockey ladder since.