Foligno stretchered off after collision with ref

Watch as Columbus Blue Jacket forward Nick Foligno can't avoid the linesman and gets rubbed out along the boards.

Columbus forward Nick Foligno was taken off the ice on a stretcher after colliding with a linesman midway through the third period of the Blue Jackets’ 5-2 loss to the L.A. Kings on Sunday.

Foligno was in a footrace through the neutral zone when he was checked head-first into the backside of linesman Shane Heyer, who was sitting on the ledge of the bench as he tried to avoid contact.

The incident looked harmless enough, but Foligno went down and remained on the ice for several minutes as fans and players looked on. Foligno flashed a thumbs up as he was being wheeled off the ice, and a tweet from the Blue Jackets’ twitter account said he was alert and being monitored by the Kings’ medical staff.

NHL Blue Jackets on Twitter: “#CBJ HC Todd Richards: “My understanding is Nick is alert and will be traveling back with us.””

An in-game report from Fox Sports said Foligno was to undergo precautionary X-rays, but the expectation was that the injury was not serious.

Helene Elliott on Twitter: “CBJ spokesman says Foligno has stiff neck but expected to be ok”

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