Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final saw a frightening incident Thursday night when a player was struck in the face by a puck, requiring hospitalization. Brayden McNabb, a defenseman for the Vegas Golden Knights, left the ice covering his face after an 87 mph shot hit him during the game.
The unexpected injury occurred when Carolina’s Nikolaj Ehlers delivered a slap shot that caught McNabb squarely in the face midway through the first period. Following the hit, McNabb dropped his stick, clutched his nose, and hurried off the ice to seek medical attention.
The ESPN broadcast later confirmed during the second period that McNabb had gone to a local hospital. Just in the previous game, McNabb had achieved a career milestone with three assists. He has been a key player for the Golden Knights since the franchise’s inception, being one of the original members still with the team for its third Stanley Cup Final appearance.
“You lose a guy like Nabber who logs heavy minutes, such a good teammate, plays the game so hard, it’s tough,” said Vegas captain Mark Stone. “They battled as hard as they could.”
Noah Hanifin, another defenseman, expressed concern for his teammate, saying, “Any time you see that happen to a teammate, especially to a guy like Nabber who is a huge part of this team, a leader, it’s tough. It’s hard to see that happen to any guy on the ice. We’re just hoping for the best for him.” Head coach John Tortorella did not provide any new information after the game.
During the match, the Golden Knights initially held a 2-0 lead but lost their advantage. The Carolina Hurricanes scored late to tie, and Seth Jarvis secured a win in overtime, evening the series as both teams head to the next game.