The Deutsche Eishockey Liga (German Ice Hockey League in English) is considering what the punishment will be after one of its players shot the puck at a referee after a whistle and hit him in the face. Thomas Larkin, a former draft pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets, appeared to be upset with an offside call and shot the puck directly at the referee. You can see the video below.
It's difficult to tell whether Larkin, who plays for Adler Mannheim, was simply shooting the puck out of frustration after the offside call or intentionally aiming for the referee. That will ultimately be for the league to decide. It isn't the first time Larkin has been in some hot water while playing hockey. On November 7th, 2017, Larkin hit Daniel Paille during a match between Swedish club Brynas and Adler Mannheim, resulting in Paille leaving with a severe concussion. Two days after the incident, Larkin apologized on Twitter, writing: "It wasn't my intention to cause an injury. I wanted to put pressure on the puck carrier behind the net. I would like to apologize to Daniel Paille and I hope he is back playing soon." A year later, Swedish prosecutor Joakim Johansson indicated that Larkin would be charged with assault for blindsiding Paille.
According to a translated tweet from DEL, the disciplinary committee is currently deciding what course of action it will be taking against Larkin.
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Larkin was born in Britain but is of Italian decent and has played for that country's national team. The now 29-year-old was drafted by Columbus 137th overall in 2009 but never made it to the NHL. He did, however, play parts of three seasons with the Springfield Falcons of the AHL, recording eight goals and 20 points in 88 games. He also played two seasons with Medvescak Zagreb of the KHL, putting up 10 points. This is his third season with Adler Mannheim.
