Vancouver Canucks defenceman Philip Larsen was taken off the ice on a stretcher on Tuesday night after a violent collision with New Jersey Devils forward Taylor Hall.

Larsen appeared to lose consciousness before hitting the ice in a scary scene at Prudential Center. A scrum quickly ensued around Larsen’s motionless body, leaving goaltender Jacob Markstrom to exit the crease in an effort to shield his head.

Larsen remained on the ice with limited motion for approximately three minutes before being lifted onto a stretcher by medical personnel with his head and neck immobilized. He regained consciousness and communicated with teammates on his way off the ice.

The Canucks said in a brief statement that Larsen was awake and responsive before being taken to a New Jersey area hospital for further evaluation. No further update on Larsen’s status was provided post-game; the Canucks said one would be provided following completion of the medical staff’s evaluation.

“You always worry about your players, you always worry about their health,” Canucks coach Willie Desjardins told reporters. “He laid motionless for quite a while, so it certainly was a concern. I’ve seen a few hits like that. You always worry because you just don’t know.”

Larsen gathered a puck behind the net and was about to lift his head as Hall delivered the blow. Larsen likely never saw Hall, who kept his arms and elbows down during the collision with his feet firmly planted on the ice.

No penalty was assessed on the play.

“I feel terrible, he’s a former teammate of mine,” Hall told reporters of his Oilers teammate from 2013-14. “I’m looking to make contact there but never want to see a guy lying on the ice like that. I just would have loved to make a hit there and continue to play, so I hope he’s all right.”

Hall said he aimed to make contact “chest to chest” but acknowledged “sometimes it doesn't work out that way.” Desjardins took exception with the hit, even though it may not have broken any rules.

“You always have a problem with a hit when one of your guys gets hit hard. It doesn’t even matter if it’s a clean hit,” Desjardins told reporters. “You still have a problem when a guy gets hit that hard. I think all coaches would and all players would.

“It was a tough hit for us.

The Canucks fell to the Devils, 3-2, to open their five-game road trip.

Larsen, one of nine Danish players currently in the NHL, turns 27 on Wednesday. He has played 142 career games with Vancouver, Edmonton and Dallas. He spent the last two seasons playing in the KHL before signing a $1.025 million deal with the Canucks on July 1.

Contact Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @frank_seravalli