Columbus Blue Jackets forward Sean Kuraly explained what happened when he collapsed while leaving the ice last Saturday.
The 30-year-old veteran suffered an abdominal injury during a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He went to the bench but fell to the floor in the hallway leading to his team's locker room. He was then taken to hospital.
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On Friday he attended training with his teammates and spoke to the media for the first time since the horrific scene. Kuraly said the end of his stick dug into his chest, under his ribs, after he took a blow.
The skater took about 10 minutes to catch his breath and reported feeling dizzy. At the hospital, they examined the condition of his lungs, spleen and heart and whether there was any internal bleeding. Luckily everything was beautiful.
“It was a little scary, but I figured out pretty quickly that it wasn't anything serious,” said the man whose comments were reported by the Blue Jackets website.
The hockey player also said he felt uncomfortable because his situation had frightened so many people, including several members of his family who were at the game at Nationwide Arena.
Kuraly will not play in the Blue Jackets' game on Friday night against the Maple Leafs or in Saturday's game against the Sabers in Buffalo.