WILD PROSPECT NEEDS SURGERY AFTER TAKING STICK TO THE CHOPS (VIDEO)

Nobody rakes in the dough like dentists and oral surgeons during hockey season. There are dozens of incidents each year which require due diligence from the lot.

The latest professional hockey player to visit the dental hygienist is Minnesota Wild prospect and SKA St. Petersburg F Murat Khusnutdinov. The 20-year old pivot rushed to block a shot from the point and ate opposing D Joseph Duszak's follow through.

It wasn't technically a high stick, but the damage was severe:

Oof. Khusnutdinov pulls off the diving poke check at the buzzer to knock the puck loose, but Duszak is already committed to the slapshot and hits him square in the face with the blade. That's brutal https://t.co/5562uds6Hp pic.twitter.com/5PpNirar8v— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) March 9, 2023

Khusnutdinov jumped back in the game after being patched up, but he did require surgery after the fact. His coach and teammates were not happy either, and understandably so.

An errant stick mangles one of your top players in a crucial playoff game...people tend to be less appreciative of such events.

Khusnutdinov after the fact:

Let me reiterate: MARAT KHUSNUTDINOV.

This kid holy shit. https://t.co/Fkvmr0NnLK pic.twitter.com/tUpMcb2St2— contemporary bobrovsky (@goaliecore) March 9, 2023

For the record: Murat Khusnutdinov = certified nail gun.