Warning: Video contains graphic content
Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares was discharged from the hospital Friday morning after spending the night being examined and assessed by a neurosurgical team.
Tavares is back home under the care and supervision of team physicians, and he's out indefinitely after taking an inadvertent knee to the head from Corey Perry during the first period of Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens.
An update on @MapleLeafs captain John Tavares. pic.twitter.com/sV0dlfpdI8
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) May 21, 2021
The 30-year-old was clearly in distress immediately after the collision.
This is one of the nastiest collisions I have seen in a while. Hope Tavares is ok. #LeafsForever #MTLvsTOR pic.twitter.com/SXhL1ikDQm
— Holy Schmidt! (@YYCguy7) May 21, 2021
Tavares was transported to the hospital and spent the night there. All tests came back "clear," according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Perry, a former teammate of Tavares' on several national Canadian teams, explained postgame what happened on the play.
"I tried to jump over him and, unfortunately, I caught my knee on his head. I don't know what else to do there," Perry said, according to The Athletic's Arpon Basu. "I know Johnny pretty well. I hope he's OK.
"I honestly felt sick to my stomach when I saw it, and when I saw (Tavares)," Perry added.
Montreal went on to beat Toronto 2-1.
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