PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Flyers goalie Michal Neuvirth was awake and alert and being taken to Pennsylvania Hospital after collapsing in his crease early in Saturday night’s game against the New Jersey Devils, according to Flyers general manager Ron Hextall.
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.
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 and carted off the ice.
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.
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.
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