Panthers Tomas Vokoun leaves game on stretcher after bizarre stick incident with teammate Ballard

by Donny Rivette on Nov 30, 2009 7:49 PM EST Comment 19 comments

Tomas Vokoun

#29 / Goalie / Florida Panthers

Height: 6-0

Weight: 195

Born: Jul 02, 1976

Florida's Tomas Vokoun takes an accidental(!) two-handed stick to the head from Keith Ballard following a goal by Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk. Ballard swung for the left post in frustration, but instead tweaked his goaltender. Insanity.

Scott Clemmensen relieved Tvo, who was removed from the ice surface on a stretcher.

Paging Mr. Salak, Mr. Alexander Salak...

UPDATE: Vokoun is alert and responsive at a local Atlanta hospital with a "deep cut" to the neck, and a better video can be found here.

Thanks, magetz via YouTube.

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Jesus.

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by Chemmy on Nov 30, 2009 7:52 PM EST reply actions

oh my goodness. i hope vokoun is okay

by Belligerent Burkie on Nov 30, 2009 7:54 PM EST reply actions

So freaking weird.

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by Donny Rivette on Nov 30, 2009 7:55 PM EST reply actions

Awful. I wonder if a player has ever been fined or suspended for an infraction against his own teammate, unintentional or otherwise.

by puckreport on Nov 30, 2009 8:04 PM EST reply actions

I was fully expecting an unsportsmanlike penalty to Ballard, at least for the second swing (where the stick broke).

Incredible.

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by Donny Rivette on Nov 30, 2009 8:08 PM EST up reply actions

What the hell do you do if your Ballard. You aren’t going to forget that one for a long, long, long, time.

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by Zachary Zielonka on Nov 30, 2009 8:32 PM EST up reply actions

Jokinen didn’t…the Zednik thing ruined him in FLA…never got his head back into it.

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by Donny Rivette on Nov 30, 2009 8:33 PM EST up reply actions

Well it sounds like the guys all tried to talk him down (McCabe, Allen, Sexton, DeBoer), and Vokoun seems like a decent guy. I’m sure he’ll forgive him and Keith will calm down. He, and the team actually didn’t play terribly the rest of the game. I turned it on after the accident and couldn’t tell anything had happened until they started talking about it. Unlike that Sabres game where the whole team gave up.

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by Johnny B on Dec 1, 2009 8:13 AM EST up reply actions

yikes

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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Nov 30, 2009 8:06 PM EST reply actions

what is it with you guys & bizarre injuries?

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by aaron b on Nov 30, 2009 8:45 PM EST reply actions

Yep. That’s the guy that was going to be our future captain until we traded him to you for Jokinen.

Unbelievable.

You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.

by zyllyx on Nov 30, 2009 8:49 PM EST reply actions

I think he’s extra frustrated this season. He was very good last season, a huge upgrade from what we had before but has struggled this season. I think it’s getting to him.

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by Johnny B on Dec 1, 2009 8:10 AM EST up reply actions

I am wondering if I have finally reached the point where I am embarrassed to be a Panthers fan. Does that make me a “rah-rah”?

Wow. Just wow.

by drscruf on Nov 30, 2009 9:52 PM EST reply actions

take it from a thrashers fan: as long as you’re still a fan, it’s ok to be embarrassed.

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by aaron b on Nov 30, 2009 10:06 PM EST up reply actions

Ha! You’re absolutely right! Thanks for making me lol!

by drscruf on Nov 30, 2009 10:24 PM EST up reply actions

I’m not sure I ever thought I’d say this, but it does seem like you lot have it even worse than us.

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by Johnny B on Dec 1, 2009 8:14 AM EST up reply actions

WTF WAS HE TRYING TO DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by MARLINSSCORE on Dec 1, 2009 12:05 AM EST reply actions

I was sitting down at that end of the ice. When it first happened I thought maybe Vokoun had injured himself while trying to make the initial save—because you never expect a guy to be hurt by his own D after the play is over. What a bizzare set of events. Even the goal was strange as nobody seemed to see the loose puck.

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by The Falconer on Dec 1, 2009 2:57 AM EST reply actions

Kovy seemed to have kept it in sight :)

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by Donny Rivette on Dec 1, 2009 6:51 PM EST up reply actions

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