Colorado Avalanche defenseman Bowen Byram has exited the game against the Anaheim Ducks due to an upper body injury.
The young defenseman took a big hit in the second period from Ducks forward Max Jones in the offensive zone, and during the hit, both of their heads collided. Byram did take two more shifts in the second period, but did not return for the third period. The Avalanche ruled him out for the rest of the game.
Here’s a clip of the hit. I believe the refs reviewed it and determined it to be clean, as no penalty was called.
For what it’s worth, I don’t have a huge issue with the hit. The head-on-head contact is unfortunate, and it actually knocked both players out, as Jones left the game with an upper body injury himself. Given Byram’s concussion history, there’s reason to be concerned, but until we get more information, it’s difficult to say.
I’ll update this article as more information comes in, but I doubt we get much of an update after the game.
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