Scary Incident in Columbus: Hurricanes Goalie Pyotr Kochetkov Collapses on Ice After Apparent Blackout
A terrifying scene occurred during the Blue Jackets/Hurricanes on Saturday as goalie Pyotr Kochetkov suffered a blackout during overtime.
In a game that is so fast-paced, the NHL often sees its fair share of injuries. From minor injuries like bruises to severe incidents like Clint Malarchuk's nightmare scenario; sometimes things just happen too fast to avoid them.
During the Columbus Blue Jackets/Carolina Hurricanes game on Saturday night, the NHL found itself in another terrifying situation with Pyotr Kochetkov.
In overtime, Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski was taking the puck toward the net when Hurricanes player Sean Walker tried to prevent a scoring chance. In doing so, he clipped his own goaltender Kochetkov as he tied up Werenski.
Kochetkov lay on the ice not moving, and there were serious concerns he was severely injured. Turns out Kochetkov was legitimately knocked out on the play and blacked out behind the net.
Trainers rushed over as the game ground to an immediate halt. The goaltender was able to make it off the ice with the assistance of medical staff and looked very shaken up from the whole thing.
Kochetkov's injury is a massive blow to the Hurricanes as he was enjoying a standout season. Posting a 10-2-0 record, to go along with a 2.42 GAA and .904 SV%. Kochetkov has shown why Carolina drafted him 36th overall in 2019.
He broke out last season with a 23-13-4 record while splitting time with Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta, a three-headed monster that led Carolina to a 111-point year, and got them to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals where they lost 4-2 to the New York Rangers.
His absence will lead the way for Andersen and Spencer Martin to get the bulk of the starts if Kochetkov is out for any period of time. No doubt GM Eric Tulsky will be looking to the market for goaltending help if he's out for any period of time, and it's an unfortunate turn of events for the young goalie.
FAQ: Pyotr Kochetkov Suffers Blackout During Game
Q1: What happened to Pyotr Kochetkov during the Columbus game?
A1: Kochetkov suffered an injury when teammate Sean Walker skated into him while preventing a Columbus scoring chance in overtime. He was knocked out on the ice before being able to come to and was helped to the locker room.
Q2: Is Hurricanes Goalie Pyotr Kochetkov okay after the incident?
It's undetermined, as GM Rod Brind'Amour has stated that Kochetkov is still undergoing testing and evaluation. He thinks that Monday will give a better indicator of the severity of Kochetkov's injury.
Q3: Has anything like this happened before in an NHL game?
A3: In terms of this exact incident, it's unknown how many times this has happened, but in terms of game-stopping incidents, it's one of many. There have been numerous cases of players collapsing on the bench, there was a time Bryan Marchment had a seizure on ice, as well as the tragic death of Bill Masterton.
