PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Dallas Stars center Mike Modano was helped off the ice in the first period of Tuesday night's game against the Philadelphia Flyers after being boarded face first into the glass by Jeremy Roenick.
One of the best players in the NHL, Modano was playing a puck along the far boards when Roenick nailed him into the glass 5:20 into the first period. Modano's head hit the glass and his back buckled on contact.
Roenick's teammate on the United States Olympic team, Modano laid motionless before being helped to a sitting position. He then was being assisted to the locker room when he stopped and nearly collapsed near center ice.
It took the Stars' trainer and four teammates to eventually get Modano off the ice.
Earlier this season, Modano became the sixth American-born player in history to reach the 1,000-point plateau, joining, among others, Roenick. He began the night sixth in the league in scoring this season with 12 goals and 22 assists.
Roenick picked up a five-minute major for boarding, the early highlight to a game pitting Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock against the team he guided to the 1999 Stanley Cup.
