Nick Foligno Stretchered Off After Head, Neck Crushed By Linesman

A freak accident caused a delay today in Los Angeles as visiting Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno suffered a head or neck injury when he crashed into linesman Shane Heyer, who had sat atop the boards in an attempt to get out of the way of Kings and Blue Jackets players.

Foligno was down for several minutes after medical personnel rushed to his side following the incident that took place midway through the third period. Replays show Foligno's neck compressing upon impact with Heyer.

The Blue Jackets' television broadcast later reported Foligno was alert and would not be taken to a hospital, which is pretty spectacular news given how things looked on the ice.

We call this a freak accident because it happens so rarely; perhaps it's more surprising that it doesn't happen more often, given the size and speed of modern players relative to the size of the ice and the limited places for game officials to hide.

[FS Ohio]