Blue Jackets Injury Update: Curtis McElhinney leaves game after collision, placed on IR

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Curtis McElhinney left Saturday night's game against the Ottawa Senators in the second period with an injury and did not return, as reported on NHL.com. The injury occurred on the Senators' second goal of the game. Teammate Nick Foligno collided with McElhinney, and each wound up in the Columbus net. He was able to skate to the bench on his own.

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Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards didn't dismiss the suggestion that McElhinney suffered a head injury or concussion during Saturday's game, Shawn Mitchell of the Columbus Dispatch reports. "I'm careful about saying that right now, but obviously he got hit," Richards said. "He was bent over, and Nicky [Foligno] comes sliding into him full-speed."

The team followed the NHL concussion protocol after the injury.

“He took the brunt of my force coming into him,” Foligno said. “It was pretty bad. He played well for us, so I was pretty disappointed I knocked him out of the game.”

This was the 31-year-old's first start of the season. Last season, he appeared in 28 games for the Blue Jackets. He posted a 2.70 GAA and a .909 save percentage.

McElhinney is serving as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky, who came into the game Saturday night in relief.

On Sunday, the team recalled goaltender Anton Forsberg from the Springfield Falcons of the AHL, and placed McElhinney on injured reserve.

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