Carolina Hurricanes rookie defenceman Alexander Nikishin needed help to get off the ice after taking a crushing hit from Ottawa Senators defenceman Tyler Kleven in the second period of Saturday’s Game 4.
Carolina leads the opening round series 3-0 and can eliminate Ottawa with a road victory on Saturday.
The incident happened along the side boards inside Carolina’s zone when Nikishin attempted to play the puck in his feet. Nikishin had his head down when Kleven delivered the hit that sent him down to the ice hard.
Nikishin lay on the ice motionless for some time as multiple scrums occurred following the hit. The 24-year-old Russian needed help from teammates to get off the ice and into the dressing room.
Kleven did not receive a penalty on the play, while Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov received a double minor for roughing and Sens defenceman Jordan Spence received a minor for roughing.
Nikishin tallied 11 goals and 22 assists over 81 games in 2025-26, his first season in the NHL.
