Junior Hockey Player Punches Referee In Face On Ice, Gets Lifetime Ban

Disturbing moment during a junior hockey game ... a player sucker-punched an official in the face, and the player has now been hit with a lifetime ban.

It all went down in the United States Premier Hockey League -- a developmental league for amateurs -- when a member of the South Shore Kings got frustrated with one of the refs.

Check out the clip, the official appears ticked off by something the player did and motions to send him to the penalty box.

That's when things went south ... 'cause as the player began skating off the ice, he punched the referee in the face, dropping him to the ice.

The other refs restored order ... and the official who was punched was helped back onto his skates -- but the damage had already been done.

FYI, Junior Hockey is typically played after high school, but before college.

The commissioner for the USPHL released a statement saying, "The action taken today by a USPHL player is completely unacceptable in the USPHL. The USPHL has zero tolerance for any player striking any official, at any time."

He continued ... "The player in question’s actions have led to a lifetime ban."