NHL Defensemen Speaks Out on His Fractured Skull After Taking a 90MPH Slapshot to The Head

Published March 18, 2023 at 2:34 PM
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Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson is set to make his return to the lineup after missing three months of play due to a head injury from a slapshot.


The incident occurred during a game against the Winnipeg Jets on December 23rd when Brendan Dillon, a former teammate of Carlson, accidentally hit him with a slapshot. Carlson was assisted off the ice by teammates Alexander Ovechkin and Dylan Strome and was taken to the hospital on a stretcher.

During an interview with The Athletic's Tarik El-Bashir, Carlson shared the details of his injury, which included a small skull fracture and a severed temporal artery. He described the experience as being struck by lightning and said that it was a one-in-a-million occurrence.


"I just got struck by lightning," Carlson said. "That's the only way to describe it."

"There's always close calls. There's always a lot of, 'Oh man, that could have hurt or that could have been bad' times. This was bad. It's a one-in-a-million thing — and it happened to me."

He went on to add, "It was bleeding so much. The only way I could describe it is, just survival."

Carlson expressed gratitude for the support he received from his family, teammates, and fans throughout his recovery. It remains unclear exactly when he will return to the Capitals' lineup, but it could be as soon as Thursday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Source: The Athletic
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NHL Defensemen Speaks Out on His Fractured Skull After Taking a 90MPH Slapshot to The Head

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