Boychuk stretchered off ice after Pacioretty hit

Johnny Boychuk was stretchered off the ice in Montreal after Max Pacioretty rode Boychuk into the boards.

MONTREAL – Boston Bruins defenceman Johnny Boychuk was taken from the ice on a stretcher after a hit from behind by Montreal forward Max Pacioretty on Thursday night.

GIF: Johnny Boychuk stretchered off the ice after this hit fr... on Twitpic

The game was delayed several minutes as Boychuk was attended to by medical and training staff on the ice before being wheeled off the ice.

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli released the following statement on Boychuk’s condition:

“Johnny Boychuk has been taken to Montreal General Hospital for observation, after being injured in Thursday’s game against the Canadiens. Before he was transported to the hospital, he was able to demonstrate movement in all of his extremities. We will provide a further update when it is appropriate.”

Pacioretty was given a two-minute penalty for boarding at 4:28 of the first period.

Boychuk had chased the puck into the Canadiens end of the rink. The hit into the end boards to the right of goalie Carey Price did not look particularly hard, but Boychuk’s head struck the top of the boards and he fell to the ice.

He was on his knees breathing heavily for several minutes before trainers got him onto his back and onto the stretcher.

Pacioretty was on the receiving end of a hit from Boston’s Zdeno Chara on March 8, 2011 that left the Canadiens left winger with a concussion and a fractured vertebrae in his neck.


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