WOOSTOCK, Ontario, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Junior hockey linesman Kevin Brown is critical after his neck was slashed, the North Bay (Canada) Nugget newspaper reported Wednesday.
Brown's injury occurred while trying to break up a fight between two players in the third period of Tuesday's game between the Woodstock Renegades and New Hamburg Firebirds in Woodstock, Ontario.
The skate of New Hamburg's Reid Oliver cut Brown's throat under his chin on the right side of his face while he fought Woodstock's Craig Thomson.
Trainers from both sides and an off-duty nurse, a fan in the crowd, tried to stabilize Brown and control his bleeding.
"A vein specialist (at the London Health Sciences Center) informed the family that Kevin had received four units of blood, was in stable condition and was able to give the 'thumbs up' signal when a nurse asked him to try and do that," team trainer Rob Swartz said on the Firebirds' Web site.
The game was suspended with 11:22 remaining and no charges were filed.
