Bruins Boychuk injured after hit from behind by Montreal’s Pacioretty

MONTREAL – Boston Bruins defenceman Johnny Boychuk was taken from the ice on a stretcher after a hit from behind by Montreal forward Max Pacioretty on Thursday night.

The game was delayed several minutes as Boychuk was attended to by medical and training staff on the ice before being wheeled off the ice.

There was no immediate word on his condition.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Pacioretty was given a two-minute penalty for boarding at 4:28 of the first period.

Boychuk had chased the puck into the Canadiens end of the rink. The hit into the end boards to the right of goalie Carey Price did not look particularly hard, but Boychuk’s head struck the top of the boards and he fell to the ice.

He was on his knees breathing heavily for several minutes before trainers got him onto his back and onto the stretcher.

Pacioretty was on the receiving end of a hit from Boston’s Zdeno Chara on March 8, 2011 that left the Canadiens left winger with a concussion and a fractured vertebrae in his neck.