As you can recall, Tavares was carried off the ice on a stretcher after colliding with the Montreal Canadiens early in the first-round playoff matchup. It was an unintentional collision: Tavares collided with Habs defender Ben Chariot, fell to the ice defenceless, and was struck by forward Corey Perry's knee. Before he was taken away, trainers and paramedics from both teams raced to the ice and attended to the veteran forward. As he was wheeled off the ice and taken to the hospital, he gave a thumbs up.
A neurosurgical team at St. Michaels Hospital and the club's medical director evaluated and tested him extensively. It appears that the outcomes of this evaluation were sufficient to enable Tavares to return home to his loved ones. He would, however, be out indefinitely.
In a statement posted to his social media pages, Tavares clarified all of this. It was important for the Leafs' captain to express gratitude to those who assisted him in getting off the ice and cared for him during the terrifying incident:
While Tavares does not hint at a possible return date, it sounds like he is aware the recovery process could be long seeing that he admits that he will be cheering on his teammates as they compete in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
