Team captain lays motionless on ice after cross check to the head

There was an extremely scary scene in Detroit minutes ago, as Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin was seen laying motionless on the ice after taking a cross check to the back of his head from Mathieu Joseph of the Ottawa Senators.

After the horrible hit from Joseph, Larkin was laying motionless on the ice with his arms outstretched for several moments. He eventually took to his knees and needed help off the ice, on his own feet but with his head down.

Mathieu Joseph, who delivered the cross check, was assessed a minor penalty on the play. David Perron, avenging the fallen Larkin, was assessed a five minute major for intent to injure against Joseph. With such an egregious play, the NHL Department of player safety will likely take a look at supplemental discipline. At the same time, the play could be viewed as incidental contact, especially with Larkin's contact with Parker Kelly while falling. Although, Joseph's contact was directly to the head.


It's especially unfortunate for Larkin, who's had a history of significant neck injuries. In the first game with the Wings having Patrick Kane on the roster, this wasn't the way the team envisioned this game unraveling.