Roman Polak had to be stretchered off the ice and taken to a local hospital following a scary crash into the boards during Thursday's season opener in Dallas.
During the second period of the Bruins-Stars contest at American Airlines Center, the Stars defenseman went after a loose puck in the corner of the Dallas zone and whiffed as he braced for contact with Boston's Chris Wager. Polak wound up tumbling hard and awkwardly into the corner boards, taking most of the impact with his head and shoulder.
The collision was ugly, and concerns escalated when Polak laid flat on the ice without movement in the aftermath. Play was halted as the defenseman remained face-down and motionless on the playing surface.
Roman Polak being stretchered off after going hard into the corner boards pic.twitter.com/9olNQRUxER
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) October 4, 2019
Medical personnel quickly came to the player's side and Polak was eventually stabilized and taken off the ice on a stretcher, then transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.
Polak, 33, didn't acknowledge the crowd or show movement in his arms prior to leaving the ice, which was unsettling. But Stars coach Jim Montgomery provided a positive update after the game, saying that Polak had movement in his extremities and was recovering.
DAL coach Jim Montgomery tells media that Roman Polak -- who was taken off ice on a stretcher -- has full use of his extremities and is feeling better at the hospital.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 4, 2019
It's always scary to see these kinds of plays in the corner, especially when a player's head or neck gets put in a vulnerable and awkward position. This incident left many players on the ice visibly shaken, including several Bruins who formed a prayer circle as the defenseman was being put on the stretcher, but Polak seems to have avoided a worst-case scenario and we can all be thankful for that.
