Cam Atkinson

Blue Jackets' Cam Atkinson narrowly avoids disastrous skate to the face

Published Mar. 13, 2017 10:11 a.m. ET

Pete Blackburn

Cam Atkinson required 17 stitches on his shoulder during Saturday's Blue Jackets game against the Sabres. All things considered, he could have had it exponentially worse.

Halfway through the second period, Atkinson fell to the ice and was essentially stomped on by opposing Buffalo player Marcus Foligno. Foligno's skate accidentally caught Atkinson in the shoulder and applied enough force to slice through his jersey and skin, opening up a gash that needed to be repaired in the locker room.

Despite the damage, Atkinson got lucky.

The skate came extremely close to catching him in the face or neck, which could have ended in an absolutely horrific disaster on the ice. Here's a look at how close it was:

"I definitely have a couple of guardian angels looking out for me," Atkinson said after the game, via The Columbus Dispatch. "I got a skate to the face a couple of years ago and it didn't touch my eye. This, it could have been my neck, it could have been other damage, nerve damage. I've got to just count my lucky stars."

It's hard to imagine feeling so grateful and lucky after a grown man essentially stomps you with a blade on his foot, but the fact that Atkinson avoided anything serious from this incident really is a blessing.

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Cam Atkinson

Columbus Blue Jackets

National Hockey League