Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery offered an encouraging update on Nick Jensen after the Caps’ 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Jensen appeared to be knocked unconscious after a hit by Michael Eyssimont into the sideboards late in the first period. Jensen was stretchered off the ice. The Capitals offered an update saying that Jensen was “conscious, alert and has the use of all his extremities.”
Carbery said that Jensen avoided going to the hospital and walked out of the building under his own power.
“Scary situation,” Carbery said. “He’s doing better though than initially when you see something like that. Someone stretchered off, you’re thinking the worst case situations and he’s doing better. He walked out of the building with his family tonight. Didn’t go to the hospital. So that was very very positive thinking other situations. That’s good. Obviously he’s going to be out. Good that he was able to walk out of the building with his family. So that was good.”
Carbery also took time to salute medical personnel for how they handled the situation.
“I just want to say from a medical staff standpoint, not only from Serbs and the on-ice and the off-ice, how quickly that happened and they were able to get out there,” Carbery added. “They just were so – it looked like dialed-in with everything going on and it was really impressive see that to help be there so quickly for Jens in that situation.”
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper checked on Jensen after the game. Cooper coached Jensen while the two were both with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers in 2010.
“It’s tough to see anybody (like that),” Cooper said. “He’s a special kid for me. We won a championship in the USHL together and he’s awesome. Those are tough ones to see, especially because of the result of the hit. It wasn’t penalized nor should it have been. It was a tough one all the way around. I heard he’s doing okay. Hopefully he’s not out after tonight.”
Nick’s wife, Jenner, offered an optimistic update after the game as well posting to her Instagram Story, “He’s okay 🤍.”
