Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation after being struck in the face by a puck during Game 2 of the Stanely Cup Final on Thursday night.
The incident occurred midway through the first period in Raleigh, North Carolina, when a powerful 87 mph slap shot from Carolina Hurricanes winger Nikolaj Ehlers hit McNabb square in the face.
The 35-year-old veteran immediately dropped his stick, clutched his face and skated directly off the ice to the locker room, failing to return for the remainder of the game.
While the Golden Knights have not released an official medical update, reports confirm he left the arena for medical assessment.
Teammates expressed their concern following the team’s overtime loss. Forward Brett Howden noted:
“It’s a scary play. You never want to see that. Just hope he’s doing all right. We haven’t seen him yet but hope he’s doing okay.”
Captain Mark Stone added, “You lose a guy like Nabber who logs heavy minutes, such a good teammate, plays the game so hard, it’s tough.”
The team is currently awaiting further news on his condition as the series moves forward.
