Blackhawks left winger Jujhar Khaira fell unconscious after taking hit from New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba during Tuesday’s game in Chicago. Medical officials carried Khaira off the ice on a stretcher.
On Wednesday morning, the team confirmed that Khaira had been released from the hospital and said in a statement that the winger is expected to make “a full recovery.” They did not put a timeline on when he will return.
The incident occurred at the 13:52 mark of the second period, when Trouba drove his shoulder into Khaira’s as he was moving his head up. Khaira’s head whipped back after contact and then hit the ice before the rest of his body.
Here’s video of the incident, which is graphic:
Blackhawks defenseman Riley Stillman fought Trouba after the hit, earning a trip to the penalty box along with fist bumps from his teammates.
Both teams took a knee while Khaira was motionless on the ice and the United Center fans gave the 27-year-old a standing ovation as he exited.
The Blackhawks said Khaira suffered an upper body blow and was taken by ambulance to Northwestern Hospital for further testing. Coach Derek King later provided an update, saying: “He’s up. He’s talking. He’s very responsive.”
Khaira is playing his first season in Chicago after spending the first six seasons of his NHL career with the Edmonton Oilers. He has two goals over 17 games this season.
This is Trouba’s third season in New York. The 27-year-old played his first six NHL seasons with the Winnipeg Jets.
