Evgeny Kuznetsov had a scary moment during Sunday’s KHL playoff game between his Salavat Yulaev and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.
After advancing the puck over Lokomotiv’s blueline, Kuznetsov took a hit from forward Alexander Polunin. The former Washington Capitals center was not expecting to be hit and fell hard to the ice along the boards.
Kuznetsov was unable to get off the ice under his own power and was placed on a stretcher that was wheeled out through the Zamboni entrance door. He left the game just 13 minutes into the first period, giving a thumbs-up to the crowd as he departed.
Polunin did not receive any penalties from the on-ice officials for the hit. He could be seen on the bench, shaking his head at the unfortunate situation.
Thankfully, it appears Kuznetsov escaped serious injury, as he eventually reappeared in his street clothes to watch the rest of the game from behind the glass.
“I spoke to him, everything seems fine,” Kuznetsov’s agent Shumi Babaev told Sport-Express’ Alexander Abustin postgame, as translated via Google Translate. “Everything worked out.”
Lokomotiv ended up winning the game 3-2, taking a 3-0 lead over Salavat in their second-round series. They are the defending Gagarin Cup champions and finished as the number-one seed in the KHL’s Western Conference.
Kuznetsov has recorded two points (1g) in six playoff games after posting 18 points (6g, 12a) in 19 games for Salavat during the regular season.
“We’ll fight to the end,” Kuznetsov wrote on his Telegram account postgame. “Thank you for your faith and support!”
The 2025-26 campaign is Kuznetsov’s second back in the KHL after he and the Carolina Hurricanes mutually terminated his NHL contract. He spent the first half of this season with Metallurg Magnitogorsk before being waived in January to join head coach Viktor Kozlov’s Salavat team.
