Horrific Scene in the QMJHL as Defensemen Gets Stretchered Off the Ice After Head Injury
Gatineau Olympiques defenseman Justin Blais was stretchered off the ice last night after he hit his head on the ice leading to a very scary scene.
According to QMJHL reporter Mikael Lalancette, Blais fell to the ice during a scrum and hit his head. He proceeded to convulse on the ice, drawing the immediate response from on-site medical staff including the trainers. Luckily, Lalancette revealed that he was conscious as he exited the building.
This lines up with the updates the Olympiques have shared with us themselves. They also reported that Blais was awake and alert on his way to a local hospital where he will be evaluated and observed.
With any luck, we will get a positive update on Blais' status tomorrow. We will have to keep an eye on the team for more announcements. Given how scary it looked though, it could be a couple of days before they can tell us anything. Hopefully there was no serious long-term damage done to the young man.
Unfortunately, Blais was not the only one who had a scary injury last night. New York Islanders defenseman Mike Reilly was nearly stretchered off the ice after a similar incident where he hit his head on the ice. Luckily, it seems as though both of them will be okay. That being said, even concussions are serious injuries that often have long-term consequences. Recovering from one is not something that should be taken for granted. As far as we know, even a single concussion can significantly increase an individual's chance of developing CTE, a serious condition that affects many hockey players whether or not the NHL chooses to accept that reality. Hopefully Blais will not suffer from that fate.
