Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall had to be stretchered off the ice after his head was drilled into the boards by Colorado Avalanche forward Cody McLeod during the first period of Thursday’s game in Denver.
The veteran d-man skated into the corner to play the puck and hunched over a bit, at which point McLeod made no attempt to slow his pursuit and continued full speed into Kronwall from behind.
According to the Red Wings’ Twitter account, “Kronwall has a concussion; cuts to the ear, but he’s moving all extremities and being treating in locker room.”
McLeod was assessed a five-minute major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct. He should expect a call from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety in the near future because this hit will likely result in a suspension of some kind.
Check out McLeod’s hit in the video below.
