BCHL player Charlie Zuccarini slashes referee, suspended for rest of season (VIDEO)

Presumably, Charlie Zuccarini would like that moment back, but it's too late.

The downside of hockey condoning a certain amount of chippiness, especially in the second half of the regular season, came back to bite the 20-year-old Zuccarini and the Trail Smoke Eaters in a very bad way last Sunday vs. the Coquitlam Express in a British Columbia Hockey League game. After coming out of the corner to the right of the goal, Zuccarini collided with referee Kirk Wood. He slashed Wood in responsee, earning a match penalty and banishment from the BCHL for the rest of the season.

There is no defending that action. Officials in a development league such as the BCHL, one of the top Junior A circuits in Canada, are still learning their craft and might not be as deft at staying away from the fray as those who work in pro leagues. Even if, hypothetically, an official was technically out of position when he collided with a player, his person is still off-limits.

Up until then, everything had been falling into place this season for Zuccarini before that disastrous split-second decision. The Shelton, Connecticut native is committed to join the new NCAA Division I program at Arizona State University and was leading Trail in scoring and was also an alternate captain.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.