The Ottawa Senators went down a forward late in Tuesday's game against the Washington Capitals.
Nick Cousins was forced to exit the game after he was on the receiving end of a massive hit from Capitals defenceman Jakob Chychrun with three minutes remaining in the third period.
As Cousins was looking to clear the puck out of the defensive end, Chychrun caught the Senators forward with his head down and sent him flying into the boards.
Cousins stayed face down on the ice before eventually getting to his feet and making his way off the ice with assistance from teammates. He did not return for the remainder of the game.
"He's not doing great," head coach Travis Green said after the game, adding that Cousins did not go to the hospital. "I thought it was a head shot to a player who wasn't ready for it. They must have saw it different."
The officials reviewed the hit for a five-minute major, but determined that there was no penalty on the play.
"Yeah, I should be careful what I say; I don't like seeing that stuff," said Cousins' teammate Ridly Greig.
"I hate, I think everybody hates, these scenes in hockey, in any sport. I haven't seen him yet, so hopefully he's doing great," added Senators captain Thomas Chabot. "Obviously, you're aware it's part of the game, but it's a lot more than the game of hockey, and it sucks seeing him like that."
The Capitals went on to win the game 3-2 in overtime.
