Greg Pateryn implied Tuesday night that Andrew Shaw's apparent head injury was inevitable.
Here's what the Dallas Stars defenseman said postgame, according to The Athletic's Sean Shapiro, after the Montreal Canadiens forward was injured following a hit on Pateryn in the third period.
Pateryn on Shaw hit: He was knocked out as soon as he hit me. He knocked himself out when he hit me. I didn't realize he was knocked out until he was on the ice and his eyes were in the back of his head. Play like that, that's what happens sometimes.
— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) March 14, 2018
Pateryn revealed he was no worse for wear after the collision but added that Shaw puts himself at risk of head injuries with these types of hits.
"I'm fine," he said, according to Shapiro. "But that speaks for itself, the way he plays, that's why he has four or five concussions a year."
Canadiens head coach Claude Julien didn't want to dignify Pateryn's comments with a reply.
"Comments like that don't deserve a response," he told reporters, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels. "They speak for themselves."
Pateryn was given a roughing minor in the aftermath for getting a couple of punches in on Shaw while he laid on the ice. Shaw needed help getting to his feet after the hit, then left the game and didn't return.
Julien also revealed postgame that Shaw had not been taken to the hospital and it wasn't clear whether he'd been concussed on the play, but he was under close evaluation, according to Engels.
Shaw has suffered multiple concussions in his career, and he opened up to Engels last fall about trying to hide the symptoms.
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