Scary injury for Swiss blue-liner
Swiss defenceman Phil Baltisberger was taken to hospital after a hit to the head in Sunday’s 7-0 loss to Russia in the world junior hockey championship at the Air Canada Centre. The Guelph Storm player was knocked down by Anatoli Golyshev in the second period and lay on the ice for several minutes before exiting on a stretcher. According to reports he was examined at the rink, then taken to hospital by ambulance.
“He can feel his legs. He’s all right,” Swiss captain Yannick Rathgeb said after the game. “He can feel everything. He just didn’t have any power to get up and his neck really hurt.”
Golyshev was assessed a five-minute major for interference and will be suspended for at least one game.
Pavel Buchnevich had three points and Igor Shestyorkin made 32 saves for Russia, which led 3-0 when the incident occurred. Rushan Rafikov, Vyacheslav Leshenko, Alexander Sharov, Vladislav Kamenev, Sergei Tolchinski Alexander Dergachyov also scored for Russia, second in Group B with five points after opening with a shootout victory over Denmark on Friday. Sweden tops the group with two regulation wins.
Switzerland was coming off a 5-2 victory over the Czech Republic on Saturday.