Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb will travel home with the team after being struck in the face by a puck in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night, coach John Tortorella confirmed Friday.
Tortorella provided no further updates on McNabb, who was taken to the hospital following the incident midway through the first period of the Carolina Hurricanes’ 4-3 overtime win in Game 2 in Raleigh, N.C.
The best-of-seven championship series is tied at 1-1 heading into Game 3 on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Hurricanes forward Nikolaj Ehlers sent an 87-mph shot toward the net and McNabb, standing in front of goalie Carter Hart, absorbed the puck off the visor of his helmet. He went down briefly, then held his face as he swiftly skated off the ice and directly to the locker room.
McNabb, 35, exited with 9:08 to go in the opening period and didn’t return to action.
McNabb has one goal and six assists through 17 games in Vegas’ current postseason run. He was averaging 20:53 of ice time in the playoffs prior to Thursday. He had five goals (tying his career high) and seven assists in 63 games during the regular season.
After joining the Golden Knights in the 2017 expansion draft, McNabb was part of the team’s trek to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018 and their run to capturing the Cup in 2023.
Over 14 NHL seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings and Vegas, McNabb has 38 goals, 153 assists and a plus-160 rating in 885 regular-season games.
