Blackhawks' Hossa taken off on stretcher
Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa was taken off the ice on a stretcher and briefly hospitalized after being hit by Phoenix's Raffi Torres in the first period of Game 3 of their opening-round playoff series on Tuesday night.
Hossa was near the boards at center ice and had just turned and passed the puck when Torres left his skates and delivered a late shot with his shoulder that knocked Hossa to the ice. Hossa was down for about five minutes as medical personnel rushed immediately to his side, and then was taken off of the ice.
Hossa, who led the Blackhawks with 77 points this season, was taken to the hospital and released Tuesday night, the Blackhawks said. He is expected to recover completely, but there is no timetable for his return.
''After initial evaluation on the ice, (Hossa) was taken by ambulance to the hospital for further testing, which yielded encouraging results,'' team physician Dr. Michael Terry said in a statement given by the Blackhawks after Chicago's 3-2 overtime loss. ''He has been released from the hospital and we are monitoring him closely at home.''
Seconds after the hit, Chicago's Brandon Bolig was given a 10-minute misconduct for roughing.
Torres, who had run-ins with the Blackhawks previously while with Vancouver, wasn't penalized. Last season, in Game 3 of the first-round series, Torres delivered a hard hit to Brent Seabrook.
''It's tough. You saw the hit,'' Chicago's Patrick Kane said between periods. ''I think it'll be reviewed by the league. It's just tough you don't get a power play out of it. Hossa's a big part of our team so someone's going to have to step up and fill the void.''
