Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick was briefly removed from Monday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs late in the first period by the NHL’s concussion spotter.
Quick was accidentally hit in the head by teammate Derek Forbort, who was tangled up with Toronto forward Zach Hyman in front of the LA net. On the next whistle, a concussion spotter indicated to the officials that he needed to be removed from the game.
Quick reluctantly left the ice, but only a few seconds later he was back before he was removed a second time. After he and head coach John Stevens argued with officials, Quick sat on the bench for 36 seconds before re-replacing Darcy Kuemper in the net.
The NHL granted new powers to concussion spotters before the start of last season. There are four Central Spotters watching all games over television, while there’s also a spotter in the stands at each arena. Any time they see a play where they suspect a concussion occurred, they’re tasked with calling the team’s trainer, who then must make sure that player passes a series of tests before they can return to the ice.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has more details on the program here.
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