Former NHLer leaves on a stretcher after goalie sends him head first into the boards.

A former National Hockey League player appears to have suffered a rather horrific looking injury.

A video has emerged from a Kontinental Hockey League game that was contested between SKA St. Petersburg and Spartak Moscow earlier today and to say that it is horrifying in its nature would actually be an understatement. The video showcases one of the most horrific looking impacts I have seen a hockey player make with the end boards during a live game and perhaps the only thing more stomach churning that the replay of the impact itself is watching how the injured player reacted to the injury.

The main focus of the video is on former National Hockey League forrward Kaspars Daugavins, a former Ottawa Senators third round draft choice in 2006, who currently plays for Spartak Moscow and who appeared to have created a decent scoring chance for himself on this play. In the video Daugavins can be seen streaking towards the SKA net as he controls the puck, and although he doesn't make a play on the net itself he still comes into contact with goaltender Igor Shestyorkin.

You see in spite of the fact that Daugavins appears to attempt a shift in his momentum, presumably to make his way around the back of the net instead of going for a shot on goal, Shestyorkin attempts to make a play on the puck himself well outside of his crease and disaster strikes as a result. Instead of stopping the puck in any meaningful way all Shestyorkin manages to do is to send the streaking Daugavins flying through the air after taking his legs out from under him with his goalie paddle, leaving Daugavins defenseless to defend himself on the play.

The end result is a speedy Daugavins slamming head first into the boards in a sickening looking fashion, the neck breaking or spine breaking kind of fashion. The impact is so violent that initially you're actually happy to see that Daugavins is able to get back up to his hands and knees, thankful that he has not been completely paralyzed by the impact itself. His reaction immediately after though indicates that there is something very, very wrong with him though and at this time all we can hope for is a full and speedy recovery.

[pub]