Dallas Stars: Curtis McKenzie Eye Injury Update

Things aren’t going so well for the Dallas Stars right now as they try and close out a rough 2016-17 season. With the way injuries are piling up, they might not even have a fully functioning roster by Saturday night.

If you’ve ever thought about working in the medical field, chances are you need to be able to deal with blood. Not just being composed around it, but also being able to handle it properly.

And after Thursday night’s game between the Dallas Stars and Boston Bruins, it’s apparently a requirement for being a hockey fan as well.

You can typically catch small glimpses of blood when there is a fight in a hockey game, but injuries usually do not involve blood. If anything, they involve either a concussion or something involving the lower body (foot, hip, knee, groin).

Facial injuries can occur as well. Whether it’s getting hit in the face with the puck or taking a high stick, a minor cut or swell may come up.

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Then there are the injuries that aren’t so minor, such as the one that happened to Curtis McKenzie against the Bruins on Thursday night. With the Dallas Stars trailing 2-0 and the chances of a win looking bleak, the night took a turn for the worst.

Off of a face-off in the attacking zone, McKenzie caught a stick up high from Kevan Miller and immediately hit the ice, covering his face. He skated off quickly as blood dripped profusely to the ice.

Upon first glimpse, the injury seemed pretty devastating. In five years of intently watching the Dallas Stars, I can’t remember an injury that has been more horrific to watch. Possibly when Trevor Daley took a puck to the face in 2014 when blocking a shot, but that’s about it.

Here’s a video of the play and aftermath.

It was an ugly cut on the eye that could have potentially taken away McKenzie’s vision for good. So Dallas Stars fans can at least be thankful that it didn’t get to that point.

Following the game, head coach Lindy Ruff gave an update that McKenzie had to be admitted to the hospital. He had the cut sewn up and remained at the hospital instead of traveling to Carolina with the team. McKenzie traveled back to Dallas on Friday after getting the eye examined.

The update on Friday was a positive one though. Apparently McKenzie’s eyeball did not receive any permanent damage, though he does have a deep gash near his eye in the soft tissue and might have some muscle injury. They will have to wait to make any further announcements until the swelling goes down in his eye, but the early signs are good.

McKenzie is not allowed to do any activity until at least Tuesday or Wednesday. With the call-ups that have already happened with Gemel Smith and Justin Dowling, the Stars will more than likely keep McKenzie out for the remainder of the season.

He sent out a tweet on Saturday with an up-close and personal picture of his eye, and it isn’t for the squeamish at heart.

McKenzie has been a great asset for the Stars this season, scoring six goals and tallying 16 points in 53 games. It’s been a career year for him, and it’s difficult to watch him go down. He can thank his lucky stars (heheh) and we can hope for a speedy recovery for #11.

Next: Stars Would Be Smart To Keep Honka Up For Good

With only three games to go in the year and all of them being at home, it’s time for the Dallas Stars to finish on a strong note.