Sports

Artturi Lehkonen hurt, Colorado Avalanche forward "alert, responsive" in Denver hospital

By Jesse Sarles

/ CBS/AP

The Colorado Avalanche announced that forward Artturi Lehkonen was "alert, responsive and has full movement" in the hospital following a frightening moment during Thursday night's game at Ball Arena.

Artturi Lehkonen of the Colorado Avalanche is helped off the ice during the game against the Seattle Kraken at Ball Arena on Thursday. Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images

Midway through the second period Lehkonen slid into the boards after he collided with Jamie Oleksiak of the Seattle Kraken. He was helped to the locker room by trainers and taken to a Denver hospital.

Avs Coach Jared Bednar said Lehkonen "got caught in a bad spot and ran into a big guy." Oleksiak is 6-foot-7 and weighs 257 pounds. He said "level of concern is high" for the organization because his injuries were serious enough that he needed to go to the hospital.

The Avalanche lost to the Kraken 4-3.

Lehkonen, 28, has three goals and five assists this season. He was acquired from Montreal in March 2022 and was instrumental in helping the Avalanche hoist the Stanley Cup two seasons ago.

Jesse Sarles

Jesse Sarles manages the web content and website operations for CBS Colorado. He writes articles about Colorado news and sports in and around the Denver area.

© 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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