What’s the status of Oilers’ Evander Kane after suffering a deep cut on his left wrist against the Lightning?
Ice hockey can be a dangerous sport and sometimes even more so, as was witnessed on Tuesday night when Oilers’ Evander Kane suffered a terrifying moment.
Were it not for the quick actions taken by both his team and the medical staff on hand, things could have taken a much more sinister twist for the Oilers and their player on Tuesday.
Oilers’ Evander Kane suffers severe laceration to left wrist
According to reports, Oilers winger Evander Kane suffered a severe cut on his left wrist during the second period of Tuesday night’s game against the Lightning. Oilers GM Ken Holland indicated that Kane had been stabilized and then taken to the hospital, where he was expected to undergo surgery.
What exactly happened to Evander Kane?
As you can see in the video above, Kane appears to have fallen on the ice after a collision with Tampa Bay’s defenseman Phillippe Myers who contesting for the puck. At that point, the video seems to show the blade of Tampa Bay’s winger, Pat Maroon’s slicing across Kane’s exposed wrist as while Kane was still trying to get to his feet. To be clear, there doesn’t appear to be any intent whatsoever, just simply bad luck. Thankfully, it didn’t get any worse.
In the moments immediately after the incident, Kane can be seen taking stock of the fact that he’s bleeding, at which point he drops his stick and races to the bench while shouting. One can also notice Maroon motioning for medical attention. To date the 31-year-old Kane has 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 14 games for the season so far. Currently in his second season, this is actually his first year since sign a four-year, $20.5-million contract with the Oilers this past offseason.
The danger of ice skates’ blades in the NHL
Incidentally, this is not the first time that we’ve witnessed close calls when it comes to the blades of the skates that players wear in the NHL. Fans will surely recall a game back in 1989, in which Buffalo Sabres goaltender Clint Malarchuk almost died following a collision with an opposing player. Malarchuk’s throat was inadvertently slit by his opponent’s skate, at which point he began to bleed profusely. Miraculously, medical staff were able to save his life. The moment had such a profound effect on the league, that it actually ushered in the use of protective gear for goaltenders in the league. Take a look below, but we advise viewer discretion as some may find the footage disturbing: