Minnesota goalie Alex Kangas watches as teammate Tom Pohl is wheeled off the ice (AP Photo)
Someone is going to die, someday, but luckily for Tom Pohl, he came out on the fortunate end of things.
There was a close-call in Minnesota last night, but it looks like the hockey fraternity dodged a bullet this time, and considering the events, it could have been tragic.
Let's face it, some collisions are so significant that you can't help but wonder how people survive. Especially when it involves someone's skull smashing into the boards.
Last night Pohl, a Minnesota Gopher forward, part of the US college system, went head-first into the boards after receiving a nasty elbow from an opposing player.
It happened directly in front of his team's bench midway through the second period. His helmet had become dislodged just before impact, surely the important factor in the significance of the injury.
I can only imagine the feeling of horror throughout the arena as he lay there on the ice limp and bleeding. It's moments like this that nobody wants to remember.
With a large gash on his forehead, and a bloody nose, Pohl was wheeled off the ice and into an ambulance. The good news was that he was talking right after the collision, even though he hadn't moved at all.
The news got worse as medical staff got working with him after leaving the arena. He suffered a skull fracture and internal bleeding, and he was quickly airlifted to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester for emergency surgery.
Pohl is currently in intensive care after he underwent brain surgery, but remains under observation. Luckily, Pohl should make a good recovery. We're all keeping our fingers crossed, hoping for the best.
Someday, though, someone isn't going to be so lucky.
It's a physically demanding game and sure, the players all know the risks.
There's no use changing the way the game is played. That's just the way it is.
Luckily for Tom Pohl, he's fortunate to still be with us, and hopefully gets to continue to play the game he loves.