Golden Knights' Brayden McNabb Taken to Hospital After 87 MPH Shot to Face

Friday, June 05, 2026 ,

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb takes puck to face during 2026 Stanley Cup Final game.

The Vegas Golden Knights lost Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final 4-3 in overtime Thursday night in Raleigh, but what happened in the first period undoubtedly shook the team before that.

Brayden McNabb was defending in front of goalie Carter Hart when Hurricanes forward Nikolaj Ehlers fired a shot from inside the blue line.

The puck, traveling 87 mph, struck McNabb around the visor of his helmet.

He dropped to the ice, clutched his face with blood visible on his glove, and skated directly to the locker room with 9:08 remaining in the first period.

He did not return for the second period.

ESPN's Emily Kaplan reported that McNabb left Lenovo Center entirely, was transported to a hospital for further evaluation, wearing flip flops as he walked out of the building.

Coach John Tortorella had no update on McNabb's condition when asked immediately after the game ended.

What McNabb Means to This Vegas Run

McNabb, 35, had averaged 20:53 of ice time per game across Vegas's first 16 playoff games and posted a plus-10 rating alongside seven points entering Thursday.

He is an original Golden Knight, a founding piece of the franchise who has been in Vegas since the expansion season, and one of the most trusted defensive presences behind Shea Theodore on a blue line that has been excellent throughout this postseason run.

In his absence Thursday, Jeremy Lauzon moved up alongside Theodore on the top pairing, leaving the Golden Knights playing with five defensemen for most of the night.

Vegas managed to stay competitive despite the disruption, leading 1-0 when McNabb left and holding that advantage into the third period before the Hurricanes scored three times to tie and then won it in overtime.

"It's a scary play," forward Brett Howden said after the game. "You never want to see that. Just hope he's doing all right. We haven't seen him yet, but hope he's doing okay."

"Any time you see that happen to a teammate, especially to a guy like Nabber who is a huge part of this team, a leader, it's tough," defenseman Noah Hanifin said. "It's hard to see that happen to any guy on the ice."

The Series Picture

The Golden Knights had taken a 1-0 series lead after winning Game 1, making a victory Thursday night the chance to take a commanding 2-0 advantage heading home to T-Mobile Arena.

Instead, the series is tied at one game apiece, with Game 3 set for Saturday night in Las Vegas.

McNabb's status for that game and for the rest of the series is very much in doubt, and the Golden Knights enter the weekend hoping the hospital visit Thursday night was precautionary rather than a longer absence.

Vegas has been on a remarkable run under first-year coach John Tortorella, going 20-5 since the late-season coaching change and sweeping the Colorado Avalanche before getting here.

Photo Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

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