Max Pacioretty, Zdeno Chara Hockey Collision – Montreal Canadiens’ Max Pacioretty Knocked Unconscious

A crushing blow into a rink turnbuckle knocked Montreal Canadiens hockey player Max Pacioretty unconscious, after what appeared to be a late body check by opponent Zdeno Chara, of the Boston Bruins.

The play occurred late in the second period, as Chara’s dangerous check flung Pacioretty headfirst into a partition at the end of the player’s bench. For his action, Chara was given a game misconduct, but the incident left many uneasy, as Pacioretty lay motionless for many minutes. Pacioretty was eventually transferred to a stretcher and taken from the arena to a nearby hospital, where he is now reportedly conscious and moving his extremities, according to a Canadiens spokesman.

The Montreal Canadiens won the game, 4-1.

The YouTube video, picks up right before the check which sent Pacioretty into the padded partition, causing the massive impact. There is plenty of debate in the comments section as to whether or not the late hit was intentional, but there is little debate that this was a frightening incident for all involved.