Providence Bruins goaltender Malcolm Subban was struck in the throat with a puck during warmups before an away game against the Portland Pirates on Saturday. He was transported to Maine Medical Center immediately after the incident, where he was diagnosed with a fractured larynx. He is listed as stable, but will require close observation as he continues to recover.
The Boston Bruins issued a statement Sunday evening regarding Subban’s injury:
Malcolm Subban was struck in the throat with a puck Saturday night during pregame warmups. He was transported to Maine Medical Center and was diagnosed with a fractured larynx. He stayed overnight at Maine Medical Center and was transported to Mass General Hospital on Sunday for further evaluation. He is in stable condition and will be sidelined indefinitely. The team will provide additional details when they become available.
Subban’s injury is reminiscent of the injury that New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist sustained last year during a game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Lundqvist was initially deemed okay to play and finished that game, going on to play again a few days later, but was later diagnosed with a vascular injury that prevented him from playing for almost two months.
Laryngeal fractures are rare, but can be serious and even life-threatening. Because Subban’s fracture did not require surgery, and he was deemed safe to travel, there is hope that his fracture is not severe enough to cause obstruction of the trachea, and his recovery time will be shorter than if there were.
Providence went on to beat Portland 3-1 with Zane McIntyre in net. Joe Parker, a goalie for a local men’s league in Portland, originally attending the game as a spectator, was recruited to dress and sit as backup for Providence in Subban’s sudden absence. Jeremy Smith has been returned on loan from the Iowa Wild to play in Subban’s absence. Providence next plays February 9 in Albany.
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