Canadian ball hockey player brutally beats referee with stick

A ball hockey player in Canada is facing criminal charges for attacking a referee.

As per a Thursday report from TVA Sports, an official working in a Dek Hockey league in the Quebec region was savagely attacked by a player he had just ejected from a Tuesday evening game.

As indicated in the following photo obtained by TVA, the victim, 39, was struck with a hockey stick multiple times after a verbal altercation with the player, leading to significant injuries, such as a skull fracture, jaw fracture, broken teeth and a concussion.

A complaint with the police, who took the referee's statement on Wednesday, has been filed. Meanwhile, the suspect has reportedly been approached by authorities.

The National Ball Hockey Players Association (NBHPA) responded to the incident with a Facebook post condemning the act on Wednesday.

The leage posted about the incident on Facebook, garnering hundreds of comments, reactions and shares.

"A tragedy happened yesterday," the French statement read. "A referee who expelled a player from the match was attacked by the offending player. He received a stick blow to the chest followed by a stick blow (with both hands) directly to the face! The referee is seriously injured."

The ball hockey association also announced a lifetime ban for the player before wishing the official a speedy recovery.

"The offending player will be suspended for life in the NBHPA even though this did not happen in an affiliated centre… All our thoughts go out to this referee in our community who will experience very difficult times in the coming days."