Hossa Leaves On Stretcher After Hit From Torres
Updated April 18, 2012 at 12:02 a.m.
By Adam Hoge-
UNITED CENTER (CBS) Well, Raffi Torres has managed to do it again.
Exactly one year to the day after delivering an illegal blow on Brent Seabrook in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Torres took a run at Marian Hossa Tuesday night and sent the Blackhawks forward off the ice on a stretcher.
The team called it "an upper body blow" and added in a statement: "After initial evaluation on the ice he was taken by ambulance to the hospital for further testing, which yielded encouraging results. He has been released from the hospital and we are monitoring him closely at home. We anticipate a full recovery in a timetable yet to be determined."
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While the initial prognosis is good, Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews did not sound optimistic about Hossa returning to the ice soon.
"We don't expect him back anytime soon," the captain said. "That was a scary thing to go through. We want to make sure he's 100 percent and OK, that's the most important thing."
The hit occurred mid-way through the first period. Torres made contact with Hossa's head with his left shoulder while leaving his feet, a hit that almost certainly will be looked at by the NHL and could result in a suspension. The refs on the ice, however, missed the call completely and Torres remained in the game. In fact, the Coyotes ended up on the power play after Brandon Bollig retaliated and was handed a 10-minute misconduct. The Blackhawks successfully killed off the penalty, however.
Hossa left the United Center in an ambulance and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
For more Blackhawks updates, follow Adam Hoge on Twitter (@AdamHogeCBS).
