It was a scene straight out of 'Slapshot' tonight during the Chicago vs. Vancouver hockey game. The only thing I could think of at the time it happened was when Coach Reggie Dunlop, played by Paul Newman, was yelling at his GM, who at the time was prepping a publicity advertisement, telling him to "show a groin injury". Well you have to feel for poor Sammy Salo of the Vancouver Canucks because Reggie Dunlop would have gotten his wish. With just micro-seconds before the end of the first period poor Sammy's nuts were the target of a Chicago player's slapshot. The shot must have shattered his cup as he went down like he was shot. I could feel the poor guy's pain as he was writhing on the ice. OMG, it even hurt when they showed the replay in slow motion. The announcers did not even have the 'balls' to tell us where he was hit by just saying 'he was hit in the midsection'. Anyone with two eyes could tell exactly where the puck hit after watching the slo-mo replay.
Playing goal in collegiate soccer I have been nailed there before making saves but the cup has always saved me. Now a soccer ball is not a hockey puck as a soccer ball's force is spread over a larger area than a puck AND the puck is moving at a much greater velocity.
Now poor Sammy, after spending a considerable amount of time lying in pain on the ice, could not even straighten himself out when he was finally helped off the ice. He was later taken to a local hospital still bent over while sitting in a wheelchair. I just cannot imagine the pain this poor guy was in. It brought back memories of poor baseball catcher Carlton Fisk when one day his cup shifted as a ball was fouled back off the ground and into his petunias. He ended up having one of his petunias removed. Now that had to hurt!
I wish Sammy Salo a quick recovery and I hope that everything still works properly for him.
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