clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Brendan Gaunce was stretchered off the ice after center-ice collision in Laval, considered “week-to-week”

Accidental collision? Sure didn’t look like it.

Twitter/@bruins47
Twitter/@bruins47

The Providence Bruins are in Laval tonight to face the Laval Rocket, the affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens.

If this play is any indication, the rivalry between Laval and Providence may end up reaching the level of Bruins-Canadiens days past...depending on who you ask.

In the early part of tonight’s game, Bruins forward Brendan Gaunce was crossing center ice when he was run into by Rocket forward Michael McCarron.

A slowed down version:

Per Mark Divver and others watching the game, Gaunce was bleeding from the face and ended up being taken off the ice on a stretcher.

Yikes.

It’s hard to say without seeing it live, but it sure didn’t look like it was incidental. Gaunce wasn’t looking anywhere near McCarron, and the puck was a zone away. It sure seemed like McCarron looked up well before Gaunce did, but he continued on his line anyways.

Of course, it’s a lot easier to say that when you’re watching a slowed-down version, so it may be best to reserve judgement. Still, it’s ugly.

Gaunce is currently the Bruins second-leading scorer, with 3 goals and an assist in 6 games.

Hopefully the kid is OK.

EDIT (8:58 PM): A couple of EOTP guys I follow were watching the game to cover the Rocket, so I asked them for their takes.

(Before you scream “bias,” they’re good dudes.)

UPDATE (Saturday, 9:15 AM): Not surprisingly, Gaunce is going to be out for a little bit.

Video of the entire incident and aftermath has surfaced as well.

The thing that jumps out to me is that McCarron makes absolutely no effort to get out of the. You could argue that he doesn’t see Gaunce until the last second, but even that seems questionable; his head is facing toward Gaunce’s general direction the entire time.

No word yet on whether or not the AHL is looking into it.

There’s also this bit of history: