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Update: Couturier to hospital for evaluation

Carolina Hurricanes v Philadelphia Flyers

PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 21: Sean Couturier #14 of the Philadelphia Flyers skates against the Carolina Hurricanes at the Wells Fargo Center on November 21, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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After taking a puck off the side of his head, rookie Sean Couturier has been taken to Pennsylvania Hospital for further evaluation. Couturier took the a Kimmo Timonen shot off his head at the end of the second period and was kept out of the rest of the game by the Flyers medical staff. Despite falling to the ice and being evaluated by the training staff while on the ice, the eighth overall pick was able to pass the initial baseline testing in the Flyers locker room.

Now that he’s at the hospital, doctors are checking to make sure Couturier is not suffering from any other complications after taking the frozen rubber to the head. “I think what they are checking for now is damage to his skull,” Flyers GM Paul Holmgren said. “And taking a look to see if there is any internal damage.”

The Flyers GM continued as he explained how bad it could have been. “We still don’t know [full details]. Thank God he turned his head in time where it didn’t hit him in [the face].”

No one ever wants to see a player suffer a head injury, but it’s especially hard to watch a player that has been such a good story through the early part of the season. Head coach Peter Laviolette talked about what the 19-year-old rookie has meant to the team in his first professional season. “He’s such a good kid and good hockey player,” Laviolette confided to the media. “He’s really earned the respect of his teammates. When you see something like that happen to anybody, your heart stops for the second and you feel that pit in your stomach. For it to happen to a young player like that who has done all the right things for us this year is tough. We hope he’s OK and it’s nothing too serious.”

Sooner or later, the Flyers luck has to change, right? At this rate, CapGeek is going to have to add a new column to include “hazard pay” for anyone who wears the orange and black.