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NHL Investigating Disturbing Situation At Local Hospital
A troubling incident has come to light involving Arizona Coyotes defenseman Juuso Valimaki, who, back in November, faced a harrowing experience after taking a 93 mph slap shot to the mouth during a game against the Stars. According to Frank Seravalli's report, Valimaki was left unattended in a Dallas hospital for hours with a severe facial injury.
The 25-year-old defenseman was rushed to a Dallas hospital after the Nov. 14 incident, expecting immediate treatment for his injuries. However, Valimaki, with a bloodied face, a hole in his mouth, and significant internal bleeding, found himself waiting in the emergency room, only to be instructed by an overworked staff to seek a local hotel and return in the morning.
Disturbingly, doctors later informed Valimaki that had he followed the hospital's directive and slept off the injuries, there was a risk of asphyxiation on his own blood. The NHLPA intervened to assist the distressed player, and after five hours, Valimaki finally received 55 stitches for the wound, which included a fractured bone and the loss of three teeth.
«We can confirm that the NHL and NHLPA are jointly investigating this matter,» mentioned an NHLPA spokesperson. The NHL has not provided a comment on the incident.
Shocking details emerged about the local hospital's services, revealing that despite Stars doctors recommending immediate surgery after 9 PM, Valimaki was told at the hospital that surgery couldn't be performed until Thursday – two days later. His face was cleaned up around 1 AM, admitted to the hospital at 2 AM, and received 55 stitches to stop the bleeding. The proper procedure to brace the fractured bone and realign remaining teeth took an additional 12 hours.
The Stars, upon learning of Valimaki's treatment in Dallas, released a statement, pledging full cooperation with the NHL and NHLPA investigation. Valimaki, displaying resilience, miraculously returned to action just two weeks after the traumatic incident, expressing gratitude for his recovery:
«My eyes, my nose, my big jaw, my throat, everything is fine. Realistically, it could have been so much worse, so I think that's kind of been the perspective that I've taken: 'I'm lucky that I'm playing again after two weeks.'»
Source: Hockeyfeed
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 15 | 183 ANSWERS NHL Investigating Disturbing Situation At Local Hospital Should the NHL implement stricter protocols to ensure immediate medical attention for players with severe injuries during games? | ||
| Yes | 164 | 89.6 % |
| No | 19 | 10.4 % |
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