Shaken, Toews talks about Hawks’ reaction to Khaira being stretchered off the ice

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HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 2 years ago
Shaken, Toews talks about Hawks’ reaction to Khaira being stretchered off the ice
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Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews met with media after his team’s 6-2 loss at the hands of the New York Rangers, but the defeat was far from his thoughts…

Toews addressed the scary situation that took place in the second period when teammate Jujhar Khaira was rushed to a hospital after getting hit by New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba.

The 27-year-old was caught with his head down as he gathered in the puck in the second period : as he looked up, he was met by Trouba who drove into him with a massive hit. Unfortunately for Khaira, the hit caught him off guard and as he fell, the back of his head bounced hard off the ice. There was no sign of any movement from him as the Blackhawks and Rangers scuffled nearby. Khaira laid motionless on the ice for several minutes before trainers and paramedics wheeled him off on a stretcher.

He was taken by ambulance to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and interim coach Derek King gave this latest update on Khaira’s status, saying that he was responsive and coherent.

Toews admitted how he was shaken up by the incident and how as a team they wanted to respond for Khaira. He appeared emotional that the Hawks didn’t get to win this one for him.

“Personally, I was pretty shaken, not going to lie to you. Just glad to hear he’s doing OK.”

“I think we were trying to find that emotion to respond the right way. We could’ve had a better response as a team, but yeah, I think the guys felt that one a little bit.”

Khaira signed with the Hawks as a free agent this summer after spending the past five seasons with the Edmonton Oilers. He was sidelined more than once in his career with concussion issues.

Toews dealt with serious health issues and missed the entire 2020-21 season. We can understand how he is focusing on Khaira’s long-term health and hoping to see him get better. On Wednesday morning, the Blackhawks revealed that Khaira was released from the hospital and was expected to make a full recovery.