Winnipeg forward Vladislav Namestnikov was hospitalized Sunday after being struck in the side of the head by a slapshot during the third period of the Jets’ 5-1 defeat against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver.
Jets coach Rick Bowness provided an update after the game, stating, “Vladdy is at the hospital being looked at right now. That’s all I have until we get a report from what they see, what is wrong.”
The incident occurred when Namestnikov was positioned in the slot and took a shot from Nate Schmidt at the point, which was deflected by Colorado’s Andrew Cogliano.
After being hit, Namestnikov remained on the ice for approximately a minute before making his way to the locker room via the Avalanche bench. Despite the injury, he managed to skate off under his own power with trainers assisting him and holding a towel to his head to stem the bleeding.
At the time of the incident, the Avalanche were leading 4-1, eventually sealing a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series with an empty-net goal.
Throughout the regular season, Namestnikov amassed 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 78 games for the Jets. In the playoffs, he has scored one goal across four games.
