Making your NHL debut is every hockey player’s dream, but for defenseman John Ludvig, it became a nightmare as he was forced out of the game with an injury at 10:41 of the second period.
John Ludvig, a 23-year-old defenseman, played his first-ever NHL game with the Pittsburgh Penguins in Tuesday’s matchup with the Dallas Stars.
The defenseman had only skated 5:29 as he delivered a massive hit to Radek Faksa in the neutral zone. The hit was enormous, and Faksa didn’t stand a chance, but during the collision, Ludvig got knocked out cold as well. Ludvig fell to the ice and seemed unconscious as he lay face down and motionless on the ice while trainers and medical staff helped him.
Eventually, he got up on his feet, and with the help of teammates Marcus Pettersson and Noel Acciari, he could get off the ice.
He didn’t return to the game, and per head coach Mike Sullivan, he’s continuing to be evaluated.
“That’s all I can really give you from a status standpoint,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said on Ludvig’s condition.
“It’s a scary moment. It appeared that he almost got knocked out on the hit. Those are scary to watch. We are hopeful that he’s going to be okay,” he added.
Ludvig was claimed off waivers from Florida this off-season but has been a healthy scratch at the start of the season. He was a late addition to the lineup on Tuesday, and now, fans hope for a speedy recovery after the scary incident.
