During Tuesday night's game between the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals at Nassau Coliseum, New York's Jack Hillen got an up-close-and-personal look at an Alexander Ovechkin slapshot. With 2:30 remaining in the first period, Ovechkin fired a shot from the high slot. Hillen was standing in front of the net and appeared to take the puck in the face. He was down on the ice for a few minutes and a stretcher was brought out, although Hillen eventually left the ice under his own power. He did not return to the game.
"It's the game of hockey, but you never want to see a player go down like that," Washington's Jason Chimera said after the game. "He took the full force of the shot. Difficult to watch."
Hillen was taken to the hospital and there has been no further update on his status from the Islanders.
"It's scary to see a friend and a teammate get injured so badly," said teammate Jon Sim. "Jack was in the right place as always, just doing his job. I'm hoping we get a positive update on him."
The Capitals went on to win the game, 7-2.
UPDATE (1/27, Noon): The Islanders have announced that Hillen will miss 6-8 weeks with a broken jaw and damaged teeth.
