Kraken's Jordan Eberle shares concern for Andrew Cogliano after injury from Game 6 hit
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 28: Andrew Cogliano #11 of the Colorado Avalanche is tended to by medical staff against the Seattle Kraken during the second period in Game Six of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Climate Pledge Arena on
DENVER - Seattle Kraken forward Jordan Eberle said he was concerned to hear that Colorado Avalanche forward Andrew Cogliano sustained a fractured neck in a collision with Eberle against the wall in Game 6 on Friday night.
Eberle was called for a two-minute minor for boarding as he checked Cogliano from behind into the side boards during the second period of Colorado's 4-1 victory that extended the series back to Denver on Sunday night. Cogliano dipped his head as he played the puck up the boards and the timing of Eberle's hit drove Cogliano headfirst into the boards.
"The puck is coming up the wall and I just went in to try and make a play and it's tough when the puck is moving that fast in games that fast, especially in a playoff game," Eberle said on Sunday ahead of Game 7. "When the play ends up in an injury it's always unfortunate. I was happy to see him back in the third and obviously you hear he's hurt the next day, it's tough. But you know, for me, it's just trying to play hockey and I think everyone knows the way I play. I'm obviously never trying to hurt somebody."
Cogliano returned to the game for the third period but it was determined that he'd sustained a fracture to a neck a day later. He is out indefinitely for the Avalanche with a fracture of his C5 Lamina.
Eberle and Cogliano were teammates during Eberle's rookie season with the Edmonton Oilers in 2010-11. Eberle said he reached out to Cogliano after hearing the news of the injury on Saturday.
"Obviously you're concerned and then you find out the extent of it," Eberle said. "Like I just said, you never want to injure a player. I think everyone knows my game. It's a fast game out there and you never want to try and put someone at liberty and just trying to make a play and it's unfortunate."
Eberle was not disciplined by the NHL for the hit against Cogliano, which has angered the Avalanche after defenseman Cale Makar was suspended a game for a hit on Jared McCann in Game 4 that has sidelined McCann for the rest of the series. McCann won't play tonight in Game 7.
"I don't like the hit, "Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said on Sunday. "… There's more than one type of suspension hit. There's the predatory hit where the guy goes after someone from distance and hits him dirty. But there's also, in my opinion, watching and coaching the game … there's also bad decisions.
"Sometimes they are split second, sometimes they take a little longer. Cale Makar for one. I don't think he's trying to take a run at McCann, but the reality is he made a decision to finish him and there's no puck there. So it's a suspension. It is. And I think this one is the same way. His back is turned. He might be thinking he's going to turn so he can hit him clean, but he doesn't turn. It's a bad decision."
If the news of Cogliano's injury had been immediately known, perhaps the NHL Department of Player Safety would have elected to review the Eberle hit for additional discipline. However, they declined to review the play on Saturday and Eberle is eligible to play Game 7.
"I hate to see that Andrew is injured," Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol said of the play. "It's a fast play in tight spaces on the wall and he went in awkwardly and I hate to see the end result of that."