Just days after Evander Kane of the Edmonton Oilers had to leave a game after having his wrist cut by a skate blade, and we have another professional player who is dealing with a very similar injury. At the Karjala Cup tournament taking place in Finland, the host country's Waltteri Merelä was forced to leave the game after the skate of player from Czechia caught him on the wrist. There was a significant puddle of blood on the ice. Here's broadcast video of the injury. The pictures below the video show the damage better (Warning: photos show considerable amount of blood).
Photos: Ilta-Sanomat
Finland team manager Mika Kortelainen told Ilta-Sanomat that Merelä luckily did not need to go to hospital right away.
"It was a frightening situation and everyone was startled when a long bloodline appeared on the ice and the man crashed into the stall. But, the situation seems to be stable now. The doctor got to him straight away and cold compresses were applied. He was able to shower on his own."
A few days after Kane was cut by a skate blade, it was announced he would miss three to four months. There's no word yet on how much time Merelä will need, but he's unlikely to play in the next week or two.
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