Tuomo Ruutu Will Drink Your Milkshake!

Then he will take the glass it was served in and bash you in the face with it. There was a scary moment last night during the Colorado Avalanche- Carolina Hurricanes game when Tuomo Ruutu viciously and recklessly boarded Darcy Tucker.

Tucker was taken off the ice on a backboard and Ruutu, who has a history of dirty play, was assessed a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct, so he was ejected from the game. After a neck brace was placed around Tucker's neck and he was placed on the backboard, a pool of blood could be seen where he had been laying on the ice for over five minutes.

Tucker's Avalanche teammates were not impressed, to say the least. Said Avalanche captain Adam Foote:

"Ruutu's got a history. He hits late, he hits from behind. So I felt like it was probably dirty if your guy is laying there."

Thankfully, it has been reported that Tucker is okay. Well, as okay as a person can be after being taken to the hospital on a stretcher. According to Craig Stancher of the team's official website, "[l]ate in the second period it was announced that Tucker had regained consciousness, was fully alert and was sent to the hospital for further evaluation."

Tucker has been called a dirty player as well, so some may argue that this is simply a guy getting what's coming to him.

Either way, it's nearly a certainty that Ruutu will be facing a suspension for the hit. Like all things hockey-related, I base this on the opinion of the estimable Greg Wyshynski, a/k/a Puck Daddy:

Ruutu's getting a suspension here, no doubt. It was a scary scene that resulted from a completely irresponsible play, and even his coach is hinting at further punishmen. Now it's just a matter of duration: Both Ruutu's time away from the rink and the amount of time Tucker needs to get back on it.

The Avalanche won't get the chance to exact revenge on Ruutu until January 8th, when Colorado travels to Raleigh. Speaking of milkshakes, methinks some player on the Avalanche might just try something that ensures a straw will be the only means through which Ruutu will be able to feed himself.

You know, because hockey is violent and stuff.

Avalanche beat Hurricanes 5-4 [The Associated Press] Avalanche/Hurricanes Notebook [Avalanche.com] Colorado's Darcy Tucker taken off ice with a concussion [NHL.com] 30 Dirty Players in 30 Days. The Toronto Maple Leafs [Armchair Pools] Video: Scary moments for Darcy Tucker after Ruutu cheap shot [Puck Daddy]