The list of casualties in the 2012 NHL playoffs continues to grow.
Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa has been ruled out for Game 4 of the Western Conference quarterfinal series against Phoenix after Coyotes forward Raffi Torres delivered a vicious hit on Hossa in Game 3.
Torres has been suspended indefinitely by the League and faces an in-person hearing Friday with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.
The Blackhawks released the following statement after the game from head team physician Dr. Michael Terry:
“Marian Hossa suffered an upper-body blow in the first period of tonight’s game. After initial evaluation on the ice he was taken by ambulance to the hospital for further testing, which yielded encouraging results. He has been released from the hospital and we are monitoring him closely at home. We anticipate a full recovery in a timetable yet to be determined.”
Hossa had to be carried off of the ice on a stretcher and was was transported by ambulance to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Thankfully, he was able to leave the hospital that night on his own power.
Obviously, the loss of Hossa, who led the Blackhawks with 77 points this season, creates a huge void for the Hawks, were are down 2-1 in the opening-round series.
And as you could imagine, the Blackhawks weren’t too happy with Torres’ hit and the fact that there was he no penalty called on the hit.
“It was a brutal hit,” head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “I saw exactly what happened. It was right in front of me. How four guys missed it was hard. The refereeing tonight was a disgrace.”
With the loss of Hossa and coming off a tough 3-2 OT defeat, captain Jonathan Toews knows his team will have to respond in Game 4.
“Of course we’re angry. It’s a natural reaction for anybody,” Toews said. “Everyone loves Hoss, respects him and loves him as a teammate. … We wanted to win that game for him tonight, but came up short. We’ve got to focus on getting the next one for him.”
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