Flyers goalie Michal Neuvirth left Saturday night's game against the New Jersey Devils early in the first period after collapsing in his crease and was carted off the ice on a stretcher.
Neuvirth was awaiting a faceoff at the far end of the ice about 7 1/2 minutes in when he fell backward and landed on his back. Flyers athletic trainer Jim McCrossin quickly ran onto the ice to attend to the 29-year-old and was joined by three other team doctors.
Scary moments. @NHLFlyers goalie @mneuvirth30 suddenly collapsed during tonight's game: https://t.co/uO6LBy17eM pic.twitter.com/mhVVHLwOt2
— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) April 2, 2017
Neuvirth, making his 28th appearance of the season and first since March 25, appeared to be unconscious for a brief time, but began moving his arms and legs and sat up in his crease before being placed on a stretcher.
Neuvirth stopped six shots before the incident and did not appear to have any unusual contact in the crease prior to his collapse. The Flyers were leading 1-0 at the time.
After the game, ESPN reported Neuvirth was "awake and alert" at a nearby hospital.
He was replaced in goal by Anthony Stolarz, who was called up from Lehigh Valley of the AHL earlier in the day when starting goalie Steve Mason was ill. Stolarz did not arrive at the Wells Fargo Center until just before the start and did not take warmups before the game.
Neuvirth's collapse was eerily similar to the one by former Atlanta Thrashers goalie Ondrej Pavelec in a 2010 game against the Washington Capitals. Neuvirth was the goalie for the Capitals in that game.
