Habs 'very thankful' P.K. Subban injury isn't serious

Montreal Canadiens players look on as teammate P.K. Subban lies injured on the ice during third period NHL hockey action against the Buffalo Sabres in Montreal, Thursday, March 10, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Habs players and fans all breathed a sigh of relief as it was revealed that P.K. Subban has been released from hospital.

It was a scary moment Thursday night at the Bell Centre – Subban’s head and teammate Alexei Emelin’s leg collided in the dying minutes of the game, leaving Subban clutching his neck for a good eight minutes before he was wheeled off the ice on a stretcher.

The episode brought back unwelcome memories for Habs captain Max Pacioretty. He, of course, was at the centre of a similarly scary moment almost five years ago to the day, when he was hit by Boston Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara and his head collided with a stanchion.

“It’s really hard for me to comment on this because I’ve been in that situation. This is a sport and it comes second. Anytime anything scary like that happens, it's O.K. to be emotional about it,” he said.

Subban was brought to hospital as a precautionary measure and is feeling significantly better. He tweeted Friday saying he was "feeling good and feeling the love" from well-wishers.

“It could have been a lot worse so we're pleased he's day-to-day. He won’t play tomorrow and he's going have some treatment and we'll go from there,” said Coach Michel Therrien.

Subban’s other teammates were also relieved to hear Subban would be all right.

“It’s a good feeling for sure. You know it's not a serious injury and everyone is very, very thankful for that,” said Paul Byron.

“It’s never nice to see a teammate going out like that especially,” said Sven Andrighetto. “I texted him last night and he texted me back to make sure that he was fine so it was good after that.”

Montreal Canadiens' P.K. Subban is tended to by medical staff during third period NHL hockey action against the Buffalo Sabres in Montreal, Thursday, March 10, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Subban won’t play Saturday night against the Minnesota Wild, the first game he has ever missed due to injury. It's a remarkable feat considering he plays defence, an injury-prone position where the players have to go into the corners first and block shots. On top of that, he plays 30 minutes a night – his ability to stay healthy for so long as been remarkable.

The only 12 games Subban hasn’t played were six due to a contract holdout and six because he was a healthy scratch. But while his 273-game ironman streak is coming to an end, a new one will likely, and thankfully, start next week.