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Wed Feb 24 12:43am EST

Slovakia's Bartecko leaves on stretcher after hitting head on ice

By Greg Wyshynski

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – An absolutely ghastly scene occurred at 6:01 of the first period of Slovakia's qualifying-round game against Norway, with Slovakian forward Lubos Bartecko taking an elbow from defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen(notes), losing his helmet as he fell, and then hitting his head on the ice.

Blood began pooling under his head, and Bartecko was motionless. Training staff came out first, medical staff some time later.

After about 10 minutes, and after a stack of towels was placed under Bartecko's head, he was put on a board and lifted into a stretcher, leaving the ice. Workers then used shovels to shave off the bloodstained ice before play resumed.

Tollefsen received 25 minutes in penalties, including a match penalty for "checking to the head and neck area" and a five-minute major during which Michal Handzus(notes) and Marian Gaborik(notes) scored for Slovakia. It was a reprehensible head shot from the recent Detroit Red Wings acquisition.

UPDATE: Via the Associated Press, he has a concussion.

"He's been stitched up, but he should be OK," Slovakia team spokesman Peter Dobias said.

Dobias said Bartecko was being treated at a clinic at the athletes' village. Slovakia's next game is against defending Olympic champion Sweden in the quarter-finals on Wednesday. "It was a very unfair attack on his head," Slovakia coach Jan Filc said. "He's OK, but he's not supposed to play (Wednesday)."

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