Habs' Subban hurts neck, leaves on stretcher

A tough season in Montreal turned scary Thursday night when Canadiens star defenseman P.K. Subban, had to be removed from the ice on a stretcher with only 2:26 remaining in regulation of against the Buffalo Sabres. It was a bit of a freak play that landed Subban on the backboard with his head immobilized, surrounded by medical personnel.

The former Norris Trophy winner was in pursuit of Sabres forward Marcus Foligno when he lost his footing. Just then, defensive partner Alexei Emelin came in to support Subban, while trying to cut off Foligno. Emelin turned his body to take the puck away and protect it from the Sabres forward, but Subban was still sliding.

Subban ended up making contact with Emelin’s behind rather squarely, appearing to compress his neck and sending him to the ice. Subban was moving after the hit, but was holding his neck. He received immediate medical attention, with medical personnel holding his head still on the ice while the stretcher came out.

After a while, the Habs defenseman was taken off on the stretcher. As he was wheeled away, Subban gave the home crowd the thumbs up.

Any time you see a player stretchered off like this, it’s a huge concern. It’s even more so when it involves the head and neck area. The first update from the Habs, however, was a good one:

Before the game, Subban was honored with the Jean Beliveau Trophy for his community service in Montreal. The blueliner has been heavily involved in donating time and money to a local children’s hospital and has been extremely active in other charities.

As soon as we get more information on Subban’s status, we’ll be sure to provide more updates.

P.K. Subban was stretchered off the ice Thursday night. (Sportsnet)

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