BROSSARD, Quebec — Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty has a severe concussion and a fractured vertebra from Tuesday’s frightening hit by Boston’s Zdeno Chara that will not draw further discipline from the NHL.
Pacioretty fractured the fourth cervical vertebra and is in a hospital under observation, Canadiens coach Jacques Martin said Wednesday.
“There is no other prognosis at this time,” Martin said, and Pacioretty will “obviously be out indefinitely.”
The 22-year-old player was chasing the puck along the boards in front of the team benches late in the second period when he was checked hard by Chara. His head slammed into the glass partition between the benches. He lay motionless on the ice for several minutes before he was taken to a hospital, where he spent the night.
Chara was given a major penalty for interference and a game misconduct, but NHL vice president Mike Murphy said there won’t be a suspension.
“I feel bad about what happened,” Chara said at practice. “I was trying to make a strong hockey play and play hard and it’s very unfortunate, like I said, that a player got hurt.”
Bylsma receives extension
PITTSBURGH — Coach Dan Bylsma, who has the Penguins in contention for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference without stars Sidney Crosby (concussion) and Evgeni Malkin (knee), agreed to a three-year contract extension through 2013-14.
Bylsma, 40, who led Pittsburgh to a Stanley Cup in 2009, is 104-52-19 with the Penguins and has the highest winning percentage (.649) of any coach in franchise history. He also is tied with Scotty Bowman for the team record in playoff victories (23).
Footnotes.
Stars center Brad Richards returned to action against the Flames after missing 10 games because of concussion-like symptoms.
• The Blue Jackets activated center Derick Brassard off injured reserve after missing eight games with a hand injury.
The Associated Press
