Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward is expected to miss a minimum of three-to-four weeks of action after being cut in the leg by a skate during Saturday's game against the Blue Jackets.
Ward will remain at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus through Sunday night, and will be re-evaluated by Hurricanes' Head Orthopedic Physician Dr. Marty Isbell when he returns to Raleigh on Monday.
The Hurricanes next play on Wednesday night, when they host the Los Angeles Kings at the RBC Center.
Ward stretched to make a save while Blue Jackets forward Rick Nash skated through the crease at 7:35. It appeared Nash or a defenceman nicked Ward in the leg with a skate.
Ward was on all fours for a couple of minutes on the ice before he was attended to by trainers. As he was being helped off, drops of blood trailed him all the way to the dressing room.
Michael Leighton replaced Ward in goal.
It wasn't the first time that Ward has been cut during a game. The skate of former New York Rangers forward Brad Isbister sliced Ward's knee during a game in March 2007. Ward said at the time that he didn't feel that injury, but the cut was deep enough for him to see the muscle. Ward called it the worst injury he sustained while playing hockey.