John Carlson shares how it felt after fracturing his skull and having his ear severed by snapshot
On December 23rd John Carlson suffered a significant injury. Carlson was struck by a slapshot directly to the head during a game against the Winnipeg Jets.
Carlson fell to the ice bleeding profusely and immediately left the game. Carlson has not played a game since. After missing 34 games Carlson rejoined the team on a recent road trip before beginning to practice with the group.
The slapshot struck Carlson in the side of the head, leaving him with a skull fracture, a severed temporal artery and a severed ear.
«I just got struck by lightning,» Carlson told El-Bashir, «That's the only way to describe it. It was bleeding so much. The only way I could describe it is, just survival.»
Carlson was taken to the hospital after the game, where he'd remain overnight.
Carlson's injury meant he was absent for Alex Ovechkin's empty net goal, the historic 802nd of his career. The goal pushed him past Gordie Howe into 2nd on the all-time goal-scoring list.
«I couldn't see anything but I could hear it,» Carlson said. «At that point, I kind of had my bearings. At first, it sounded like a normal goal but the roar didn't stop. Then I hear (Ovi's goal) song and I know what's happening."
«Then you start feeling sorry for yourself,» he added, «It's a big day for the Caps, for Ovi. I'm injured and it sucks.»
Gina Carlson posted the following about the injury back in January.
«With your ear back on 🙈, you came home from the hospital & did it all,» Gina Carlson said on Instagram. She later added, «Your strength doesn't even come close to your heart and the husband and dad you are.»
Hopefully Carlson returns and is in the lineup when Ovechkin finally passed Wayne Gretzky's all-time record.
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