from Mike Sawatzky of the Winnipeg Free Press,

Chris Schlenker’s welcome to the big time was a bolt of lightning — totally unexpected.

Following the play up ice during a Nov. 18 game at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., the 32-year-old first-year NHL referee from Medicine Hat, Alta., suddenly felt himself swept off his feet before coming down hard and painfully on his back.

What he didn’t know was the NHL’s biggest star and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins had roared past, too closely in fact, and one of his skates took Schlenker’s feet out from under him.

"I got slew-footed by Sidney Crosby — accidentally," says Schlenker. "I popped back up. My partners were looking at me to see if I was OK. I got quickly back in the play like nothing happened. I got up, didn’t know who it was or what even happened. I didn’t see him coming. The next whistle, the guys came to check on me, I said, ‘Let’s keep going, I’m fine.’

"The next TV timeout, Sid comes across the ice and says, ‘Sorry about the slew-foot.’ I said, ‘No problem.’ He said, ‘I didn’t mean to do it.’ I said, ‘I know you didn’t.’"

Maintaining your cool is important in the officiating business and Schlenker, one of the rising stars on the NHL scene, is very good at it.

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