New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk was struck in the face by the skate blade of a Montreal Canadiens player who tripped during an NHL game Tuesday.
Boychuk covered his face after he was struck and immediately skated off the ice, as seen in the video.
“It’s pretty scary obviously around the facial/eye area,” coach Barry Trotz said after the Islanders’ 6-2 loss, per a team tweet.
There was no immediate report on Boychuk’s condition.
The 36-year-old Boychuk, in his sixth season with the Islanders, was struck as Montreal’s Artturi Lehkonen lost his balance in front of the Islanders’ goal and fell to the ice, kicking his right leg into the air.
“It’s a scary situation,” team captain Anders Lee told the New York Post. “You hate to see that happen. It happens quick, skate to the face. I think that’s where all our minds are right now for sure.”
Boychuk was slashed in the neck last season by the skate of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Mitch Martner, the Post noted.
The Islanders didn’t immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for an update on Boychuk’s condition.
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