This is the terrifying moment St Louis Blues hockey star Dylan Holloway collapsed and was rushed to hospital after being hit in the neck by the puck.
The disturbing incident occurred during the first period of a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Missouri, when Nicholas Paul crashed the puck into Holloway from close range.
He managed to keep skating for about 30 seconds, even receiving the ball and passing it to a teammate, before finally returning to the bench and plopping down on the bench.
Seconds later, he collapsed and doctors rushed to his aid, holding his neck and placing him directly on a stretcher.
The players then knelt on the ice as Holloway was carried down the tunnel to the locker room, where he was taken directly to the hospital, and the first period of the game was stopped early.
Dylan Holloway takes the puck to his neck during the first period of an NHL game on Tuesday.
He finished his shift but less than a minute later he had collapsed on the bench.
Players knelt on the ice as doctors tended to Holloway before he was taken to the hospital.
Shortly afterward, hockey expert Frank Seravalli reported that Holloway “is going to be fine,” writing in X: “His airway is open and unobstructed.”
“There is no swelling around his neck, a precautionary scan has been scheduled at the hospital. Holloway’s parents were in town for the game and are with him in the hospital.
He was also reported to be alert and responsive when transported to the medical center while the game continued in his absence.
Holloway is just 23 years old and has played three seasons in the NHL after being selected 14th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2020.
He moved south of the border to St Louis in August of this year on a two-year, $2.29 million-a-year deal.