Maple Leafs' Chris Tanev Discharged From Hospital Following Scary On-Ice Incident

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev has been discharged from a Philadelphia hospital and is returning to Toronto after a frightening incident during Saturday night's game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Tanev was stretchered off the ice after a collision with Flyers forward Matvei Michkov in the third period of the Maple Leafs' 5-2 victory.

The incident occurred at 8:23 of the third period, with the Maple Leafs leading 4-1. Michkov made contact with Tanev near the Toronto blue line, resulting in Tanev falling to the ice and remaining motionless for several minutes while being attended to by medical staff from both teams. Michkov was assessed a two-minute minor penalty for interference on the play.

The scene was understandably concerning, with Tanev remaining face down on the ice. As he was being stretchered off, Tanev gave a thumbs up to the crowd, a gesture that, while offering some reassurance, did little to completely alleviate the worry. He was immediately transported to a local hospital for evaluation.

Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube provided an initial, cautiously optimistic update following the game. "He's moving, and I think he'll be all right," Berube said. "But he's getting some tests done right now, so we'll know more in a little while".

Captain Auston Matthews expressed the team's concern for Tanev, highlighting his importance to the Maple Leafs. "It's a tough feeling," Matthews said. "He's such an integral part of this team that brings so much experience. Anytime they're bringing out a stretcher, it's never a good feeling deep inside". Nick Robertson echoed these sentiments, stating he would be praying for Tanev and emphasizing the unfortunate nature of the injury, especially considering Tanev's recent return from a head injury.

The 35-year-old defenseman was playing in his first game back after missing the previous four games due to an upper-body injury. In the second period, Tanev had an assist on Jake McCabe's goal. This season, his second with the Maple Leafs, Tanev has two assists in eight games.

Tanev's history with concussions has become a central concern. Prior to joining the Maple Leafs, he had a well-documented history of head injuries, and he had just recovered from a concussion sustained on October 21. "I don't think any one mimics another one," Tanev said on Friday, acknowledging the unpredictable nature of concussion recovery. "Sometimes your symptoms may last a while; sometimes they don't".

The Maple Leafs will now be closely monitoring Tanev's condition as he returns to Toronto. The team hosts the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday.