There was a scary moment in Sunday’s game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Los Angeles Kings. Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno was injured after a collision with linesman Shane Heyer.
Foligno was hit along the benches by Kings’ center Jeff Carter. Their momentum carried them into linesman Shane Heyer, who was on the dasher, trying to avoid the play. Foligno’s head drove into Heyer’s hip and elbow, and the winger fell to the ice.
Foligno lay motionless for a few moments before being eased onto a stretcher by the medical staff. The Columbus winger was able to wave to the fans as he was taken off the ice.
Columbus forward Mark Letestu spoke after the game, via LA Kings Insider:
To see [Foligno] go down and not move, it’s a scary sight for anybody. The circumstances of the play, it’s a total freak thing. It’s just unfortunate. He probably didn’t even see it coming. It’s hard to see any teammate go down.
The Blue Jackets and Kings watch the medical staff assist injured forward Nick Foligno
The Blue Jackets reported that Foligno was ‘alert, [with] full movement in his limbs, and talking with doctors.’ Foligno was sent for precautionary x-rays at Staples Center, but was not hospitalized. He’s scheduled to travel with the team back to Columbus, according to the Columbus Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline.
UPDATE: Foligno will remain in Los Angeles as a precaution.
Linesman Shane Heyer, while likely shaken up by the outcome of the play, was not injured and remained in the game.
