Vancouver Canucks defenceman Mark Friedman sustained a concerning injury during Tuesday night’s game between the Abbotsford Canucks and Tucson Roadrunners after a dangerous headshot. The incident occurred midway through the third period when Friedman cut toward the slot, and Tucson defenceman Montana Onyebuchi caught him with a high, dangerous hit to the head. Friedman immediately fell to the ice and remained down for several minutes.

Paramedics were called to the ice, and Friedman was taken off on a stretcher before being transported to the hospital by ambulance. Fortunately, Friedman could be seen moving his arms and legs as paramedics assessed his condition.

The Abbotsford Canucks released a statement Wednesday morning confirming that Friedman has been discharged from the hospital and is undergoing further evaluation by team physicians. However, no additional details were provided regarding the nature of the injury.

The Abbotsford Canucks originally dressed 11 forwards to accommodate Christian Wolanin’s return as the seventh defenceman. Midway through the second period, however, forward Phil Di Giuseppe left the game due to an injury and did not return despite a brief attempt to early in the third period. As a result, Friedman was shifted into a forward role.

Moments before the hit, Friedman had assisted on a John Stevens goal, which opened the scoring in the third period. With one goal and four assists in five games, Friedman currently co-leads the Abbotsford Canucks in points.

The 28-year-old defenceman had been reassigned to Abbotsford as he found himself the odd man out on Vancouver’s blue line. With 223 AHL games spread across three teams, Friedman is already considered a veteran at this level. He joined the Canucks organization last October as part of a four-player trade that sent Jack Rathbone and Karel Plasek to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Abbotsford Canucks return to the ice on Wednesday at the Abbotsford Centre as they host the Tucson Roadrunners for a doubleheader rematch. Read our full recap of Tuesday night’s game by clicking here!