Dylan Holloway injury: What happened to Blues forward after taking puck to neck area?

St. Louis Blues forward Dylan Holloway left the game late in the first period against the Tampa Bay Lightning after taking a puck to the neck-throat area on Tuesday.

Holloway blocked a shot from Lightning forward Nick Paul, then chased the puck as the play ensued. Holloway seemed fine immediately after the shot and completed this shift, but then seemed to experience discomfort after returning to the bench at the end of his shift.

After getting evaluated by training staff on the bench, Dylan Holloway was seemingly carried away by trainers. He was placed on a stretcher before leaving the Blues’ bench.

According to insider Frank Seravalli, Holloway was immediately transported to a St. Louis hospital. While there was a legitimate emergency, Holloway was fortunate to receive immediate medical attention from Blues trainer Ray Barile, a professionally trained emergency medical responder, according to Seravalli.

As per the latest update, the doctors have confirmed Holloway is going to recover with no swelling around his neck and his airway being unobstructed. Holloway's parents are with him at the hospital.

In an interview with the media following last night's scary injury, Holloway described how his memory of returning to the bench became hazy. He said:

"I feel good today. Obviously, it’s a scary situation. From what I’ve been told, the puck hit my Vagus nerve in my neck. As soon as I got hit, I knew something was a little off. It got really blurry. I don't really remember coming to the bench. Next thing I know I was next to the ambulance on a stretcher."

The 23-year-old Holloway is playing his first season with the Blues following a controversial offer sheet deal during this past offseason.

Dylan Holloway is a member of the St. Louis Blues family

Following the game, Blues coach Drew Bannister spoke to the media. Bannister addressed Holloway’s injury. NHL.com quoted Bannister:

"I think the only way I can put it to you guys (the media) is if you're at work, you get a call that one of your family members is sick and rushed to the hospital."

Bannister’s comments underscore the genuine concern everyone had for Dylan. While early reports indicate that Holloway will be fine, the injury was scary nonetheless.

Bannister added:

“Holly is a family member. That was tough. I thought we, as a group, showed a lot of fortitude mentally being able to push through that... We were able to get updates on Holly and kind of put our minds at ease a little bit, and we focused ourselves.”

Indeed, the Blues pushed through, taking the game 3-2 over the Lightning. The win is a small consolation for the unfortunate incident on the ice. While the injury could have been much worse, the good news is that all signs point toward Holloway being just fine.

Bannister concluded:

"From what we've heard, he's doing well. It's a good sign."

While there’s no telling if Holloway will be in the lineup for the Blues’ next game against the Utah Hockey Club on Thursday night, Holloway should be back sooner rather than later. Here’s hoping Holloway gets out of the hospital soon and back on the ice where he belongs.