A hockey game must go on -- even when it's in Australia.
Stephen White, who calls the action as an announcer for ATC Productions, which covers the Australian Ice Hockey League, wound up calling Sunday's game between the Newcastle North Stars and Melbourne Ice in an entirely different way.
Linesman Casper Russelhuber was crunched accidentally by two players during the first period, suffering a mild concussion and a badly lacerated index finger from a skate cut.
Russelhuber couldn't continue, so White -- an official who has experience at lower levels of hockey in Australia -- stepped out of the TV booth and onto the ice. According to The Age, White had his skates and protective equipment with him, as he was scheduled to play in a reserves match after the game.
However, he didn’t have an official's uniform so he wound up wearing Russelhuber's -- which was a few sizes too big.
The Age quoted White as saying he made one or two errors, but was satisfied overall with his performance. But that was after an "adrenalin dump" when he first stepped on to the ice.
"I suddenly got out there and realized …there's 2,000 people here, I'm on TV," he said. This is my first AIHL game ever and the home team is down 2-0!'"
The North Stars defeated the Ice 2-0. White offered his own postgame appraisal via his Twitter account:
@nsahockey @aihl Thanks guys! Still don't really believe that happened but what an entrance nonetheless! #twojobsinone #fourthofficial
— Stephen White (@StephenWhite83) May 20, 2013
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