Hockey players often are labeled as the toughest athletes in sports, and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Matt Calvert did his best to prove that to be true in Friday’s game against the New York Rangers.
It started with a blocked shot in the second period that swept him off his feet. The puck hit Calvert in the face, opening his face like a faucet and leaving a pool of blood on the ice. The wound required 36 stitches.
He returned to the game (because he’s a hockey player) and remarkably scored scored the eventual game-winning goal for the Blue Jackets in the third period.
Calvert’s toughness is one of the hallmarks of this Columbus squad. Unfortunately for the Blue Jackets, that’s one of the only things going for them — they’re one of the NHL’s worst teams.
Thumbnail photo via Aaron Doster/USA TODAY Sports Images