Reports out of New York Rangers training camp on Sunday morning indicate center Mika Zibanejad was injured following a hit to the head.
New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad suffered a head injury during the first practice session on Sunday morning.
Newsday Sports writer Colin Stephenson initially tweeted out that Zibanejad went to the bench bent over, and looked to be in some discomfort.
Approximately 20 minutes later, Rangers beat writer for The Athletic, Rick Carpiniello, reported that Zibanejad took a hit to the head and remained down on the ice for a period of time. Zibanejad and Joey Keane were doing a one-on-one drill when the injury occurred.
A hit to the head is always a hot topic, even more so with the history that Zibanejad has with past concussion injuries. His most recent one was last season where he missed almost a month of the season. If it indeed is a concussion, he will be put in the NHL concussion protocol procedure until he is cleared. This would be a major blow to Mika and the team.
The Rangers reported that there would be no further updates until the third practice session has concluded. That session is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. Head coach David Quinn will speak with the media to update the Zibanejad situation and how the team is shaping up for Monday night’s first preseason game.
UPDATE:
After David Quinn met with the media Sunday afternoon, it has been determined that Zibanejad is indeed okay. All the fears over concussion symptoms have been put to rest, as Colin Stephenson reports.
While Zibanejad dodged a bullet this time, there still is a concern for him moving forward when it comes to hard hits on the ice. But for right now, it seem like Zibanejad could get some ice time Monday night against the New Jersey Devils.