At the end of the first period of Tuesday's Lightning/Blues game in St. Louis, Dylan Holloway was struck in the neck by a puck, which left him in obvious distress. Holloway was able to make it back to the Blues' bench, but when I arrived and sat down, it became very clear, very quickly, that something was wrong.
While on the bench, Holloway was being worked on by a trainer, who at one point began to stabilize Holloway's head and neck. With 1:11 remaining in the period, things really drifted over the line from safe to scary when the stretcher was called in to cart Holloway off. The players were told to head to their respective dressing rooms and the first period was force-ended without the final 1:11 elapsing.
Some fans pointed out on social media that Holloway did not appear to be doing too well on the bench before the trainer got to him, which has really raised the level of concern.
Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli had the following update to share with hockey fans following the scary ordeal.
Obviously, it's a relief to hear that Holloway is stable and on his way to the hospital. This situation is a stark reminder that even during a game, things can go very wrong in just a split second. Thankfully, the medical staff in the arena were able to act quickly and ensure the player's health and safety. All the best to Holloway and hopefully he is able to make a full and speedy recovery from his injuries on the play.