The NHL contest between the Dallas Stars and Columbus Blue Jackets in Dallas was called off yesterday after Stars forward Rich Peverley collapsed on the players bench early in the first period.
The 31-year-old native of Kingston, Ontario is now resting in stable condition in a Dallas hospital. The NHL officially postponed the game at the 6:23 mark of the first period and announced that it will be replayed in its entirety at a later date.
Peverley had just reached the players’ bench after completing a shift with line mates Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. He then collapsed at the bench while medical staff rushed to his aid. He was then quickly carried away to the dressing room and rushed to hospital.
Benn said his teammates are relieved that Peverley’s now listed in stable condition, because everybody on the ice and in the arena were pretty scared.
Jim Nill, the manager of the Stars, released a statement which said, “Rich Peverley is resting comfortably and being monitored at UT Southwestern St. Paul. He is currently undergoing testing to discover what triggered the cardiac event in Monday night. The focus of all the testing and monitoring is being dedicated to finding the cause of the event and a long-term solution to rectify the problem.”
Nill added that Peverley is conscious and has been communicating with friends and family and his teammates. He stated that Peverley is very grateful for all of the support he’s been receiving from family, friends and the NHL.
Peverley has been monitored closely by team doctors since the season began in October, since he has a history of heart problems. The player missed the entire 2013-14 preseason schedule after doctors discovered at training camp that he has an irregular heartbeat.
Peverley traveled to Cleveland to undergo a medical procedure in September and returned to the lineup for the second game of the regular season. However, it’s unclear if the procedure solved the issue since Peverley sat out a road game in Columbus on March 4 due to his heart problem.
Stars right-winger Alex Chiasson, a close friend of Peverley, was left out of the lineup for the team’s game on March 11 as he suffered anxiety attacks after seeing the incident on the players bench.
With Peverley and Chiasson on the sidelines, the club called up forwards Chris Mueller and Colton Sceviour from the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League (AHL). According to Dallas head coach Lindy Ruff, Chiasson was taken to a local hospital for observation.
The 5-foot-11-inch Peverley was signed as a free agent by the Nashville Predators in January of 2007. The Atlanta Thrashers, now the Winnipeg Jets, claimed him on waivers in January 2009.
He was then traded to the Boston Bruins along with Boris Valabik for Mark Stuart and Blake Wheeler in February of 2011. The Bruins traded him to Dallas along with Seguin and Ryan Button in July 2013 for Loui Eriksson, Joe Morrow, Matt Fraser and Reilly Smith.
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