Canucks' Daniel Sedin stretchered off ice, taken to hospital after hit from behind (Video)
With nothing left to play for, the Vancouver Canucks had to be hoping that the final game of their terrible season would come and go without incident.
No such luck. Late in the second period, Daniel Sedin was driven into the boards from behind by Paul Byron of the Calgary Flames. After he lay on the ice for a worrisomely long time, he was stretchered off the ice and taken immediately to hospital.
Rogers Arena can be an incredibly quiet building. But it's never been quite that silent, as fans sat and waited for a sign that Daniel was okay.
Byron was given a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct, both of which appeared to be reactions to the sight of Daniel on the ice. No question there was a push, but this one seemed more awkward than anything. It will be interesting to see how the league views it. Will Byron be unavailable to begin next season due to suspension? And if so, will the stretcher's appearance in the clip inflate the ban?
Henrik Sedin left with his brother, but did return.
"Daniel Sedin was taken in stable condition to Vancouver General Hospital to undergo further evaluation and imaging," the Canucks said in a statement. "He exhibited signs of movement to his extremities and showed improvement from initially being hit. No assessment will be made until completion of this evaluation."
Here's hoping the Canucks are simply being as cautious as they possibly can. Considering it's the last game of the season, there's no reason not to be.
It's been a tumultuous season for the Canucks, and the Sedins especially. Neither could stay healthy, which is downright odd, since Henrik in particular hadn't missed time with injury in a decade. And when he was healthy, Daniel wasn't. The Canucks played most of the back half of the season with just one Sedin.
Safe to say the Canucks, and the twin brothers that lead them especially, will commence forgetting this season as soon as this game is over.
