Penguins prospect Kirill Tankov was taken out on a stretcher after a horrific sequence

PUBLICATION

Jeff Drouin
September 5, 2022 (8:40 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

Unfortunately, there is a Pittsburgh Penguins prospect and his loved ones who are currently going through some scary times.

There was a very disturbing sequence in the KHL when young Kirill Tankov (the Penguins' seventh round pick in 2021) took a hard hit and went head first into the boards.

He left the ice surface on a stretcher and early reports are worrying. He was reportedly immediately transported to the intensive care unit, according to sportexpress.

Tankov's head coach, meanwhile, called the situation "alarming," but according to the most recent updates, the kid is reportedly conscious.

See the footage in question:

There are several reports circulating, and we have to translate because it's not in French or English, but all indications are that the youngster's season is over and that he would have suffered a fractured cervical vertebra. It is really terrible, but the doctors would not fear for his life.

We are speaking in the conditional tense and all this should be taken with a grain of salt, because of the many information that are circulating and the language barrier.

As for his opponent, he was expelled:

"The Dynamo player who hit Tankov from behind was Artyom Maltsev, he has just been ejected from the game. I will keep an eye out for any kind of updates on Tankov afterwards."

- Taylor Haase, reporter covering the Penguins

Hopefully the damage isn't too severe and he can make a 100% recovery.

Tankov, 20, is the 218th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, a selection of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

More details to come.