Some people punch people in the face when they get scared and they're completely shocked and sorry afterwards. Just because it looks to be a evil violent act doesn't mean it is.
Clearly in his mind if he seen something last second, he's going to tense up enough to the point where he's properly prepared for a collision..He's not going to just throw his arms up and let them hit himself in the face along with the ref.. He would put enough force(maybe too little maybe too much) to be braced enough to not get hurt. You're storing kinetic energy in a muscle that is prepared for load, it's not just going to absorb and instantly dissipate. It's going to looks like a follow through, especially being two opposite colliding directions on ICE.
It's always going to look like a follow through regardless of intention. If he didn't spot him last second it would of been different obviously. So being that he did see him last second, he did the only thing he could do, try to turn or slow, hence him turning his skates. With those two things in mind (turning and follow through) it only leaves two options. Was he trying to hurt a ref or was it a reaction? I doubt he would level a ref.
Finally, if he was really trying to hurt him, at those speeds in both directions if he actually shoved violently instead of reactionary I have no doubt he would've almost done a front flip or landed face first.
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