Jets forward receives 75-plus stitches after taking skate blade to face, returns to game
Jets forward Morgan Barron never had any doubt that he'd return to the ice after taking a skate to the face in the opener of Winnipeg's first-round series against Vegas on Tuesday night.
He needed over 75 stitches after goaltender Laurent Brossoit's skate blade sliced him near his right eyebrow in the first period of Winnipeg's 5-1 victory over the Golden Knights.
"It missed everything important and I had feeling and everything," Barron said. "So as long as they stitched me up well, just as they did, it was awesome. The team did a great job in there."
Dried blood was still visible under his brow as Barron spoke to reporters after the game. A clear bandage covered part of his forehead.
"Looks like he got attacked by a shark," said Jets forward Adam Lowry. "It's a scary thing. We're all so worried about the puck crossing the line and all of the sudden we see a trail of blood all the way from the crease to the bench."
Barron was one of several players that fell to the ice during a wild scramble in the Vegas crease.
With Brossoit sprawled face down near the goal line trying to keep the puck out, his right leg rose in the air just as Barron was coming downward. The netminder's skate blade was briefly wedged between Barron's face and his visor.
"I was trying to figure out if the puck went in," Barron said. "It was sitting pretty close and obviously I saw the skate coming and it was just an unlucky play, a little bit unfortunate.
"The first thought was I could see out of the eye, so that was the main thing."
He immediately went to the locker-room for repairs and returned to the ice before the midway point of the second period. Barron's helmet included a full facial cage for added protection.
"Obviously very happy he's healthy and OK," said Jets forward Kyle Connor. "He's about as tough as they come."
Jets coach Rick Bowness said he went to check on Barron during the first intermission and was told by the trainers and doctors that he'd return.
"From what they told me, as soon as he's laying down and getting stitched up, he's saying, 'I've got to get back. I've got to get back,"' Bowness said.
Once he returned to the ice, Barron went out and "banged into someone," Bowness added.
"That's Winnipeg Jet hockey, that we're all in, and Morgan is a perfect example of that tonight," he said. "So give him a lot of credit. That takes a lot of courage."
The Jets had a 2-0 lead when Barron came back. Winnipeg scored again early in the third period and added two late goals to ice it.
"I think Morgan's presence coming back from that - because they all realized how bad it was - that it gave everyone a big boost," Bowness said.
Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday night at T-Mobile Arena.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. teen with Canada's first human case of avian flu in critical condition, Dr. Bonnie Henry says
The teenager who is sick with the first-ever human case of avian influenza acquired in Canada is in hospital in critical condition, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Tuesday.
Here's why thieves may be stealing butter in Canada
The case of the missing butter remains a mystery, but some have ideas on what's behind the unusual crimes.
Former B.C. premier John Horgan dies at 65
Former B.C. premier John Horgan, a popular leader renowned for his affable personality and dedicated public service, has died
Body found in Montreal park identified as cryptocurrency influencer
The body of a man that was found in a park in the Ahunstic-Cartierville borough last month has been identified as cryptocurrency influencer Kevin Mirshahi.
Air Canada to add new routes to U.S., Europe and North Africa in summer 2025
Getting to destinations in the U.S., Europe and North Africa is about to get easier, as Air Canada announced it will be increasing flights to a number of new destinations this summer.
2-year-old gorilla 'Eyare' dies unexpectedly at Calgary Zoo
A young gorilla at the Calgary Zoo has died. The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo announced a member of its western lowland gorilla troop passed away unexpectedly, in a news release Tuesday.
History in Halifax is slowly being wiped off the map: study
Saint Mary's University archeologist Jonathan Fowler is sounding an alarm with a new study. According to Fowler, the centuries-old architecture that adds to Halifax’s heritage and historic vibe is slowly being wiped away as the city grows.
Quebec officer suspended 15 days for throwing away piece of victim's skull
A Quebec provincial police officer has been suspended for 15 days without pay after throwing part of a young motorcycle accident victim's skull into a ravine in 2021.
Alleged serial killer previously pled guilty to 2018 attack on Waterloo, Ont. bus
The woman accused of killing three people in three days in three Ontario cities also previously admitted to attacking strangers on buses in the Region of Waterloo.