Hockey HOFer offers support to Damar Hamlin

Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Chris Pronger Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Hockey Hall of Famer offers support to Damar Hamlin after going through similar incident

By Adam Gretz | Last updated 1/3/23

There has been an outpouring of support from the sports world for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin after he suffered cardiac arrest on the field Monday night. One of the most noteworthy shows of support came from hockey Hall of Famer Chris Pronger, who went through a very similar situation during the 1998 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Prayers that Damar Hamlin can have the same outcome that I was fortunate to have with my incident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Damar, his family, teammates and the greater NFL community during this incredibly scary time. https://t.co/u90LBw5MfO
— Chris Pronger (@chrispronger) January 3, 2023

Pronger was a member of the St. Louis Blues at the time. During their 1998 playoff series against the Detroit Red Wings, he was struck in the chest by a Dmitri Mironov slap shot. In a similar scene to what Hamlin went through, Pronger took two strides and collapsed to the ice. He was unconscious for more than 20 seconds before being taken to the hospital, where he spent the night.

What was so remarkable about Pronger's situation is that he was actually cleared to play two nights later and actually logged more than 41 minutes of ice time in double-overtime loss in Game 3 of the series.

There has been little update on Hamlin's status, but it does seem to be a more severe situation than the one Pronger went through.

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