DALLAS – Petr Sykora was at a hospital when the Devils won the Stanley Cup last night. But if he was watching on television, he saw his name on the ice.
As the Devils celebrated their 2-1, double-over-
time victory over the Stars, linemate Patrik Elias wore Sykora’s No. 17 jersey, and then coach Larry Robinson put it on next.
He wasn’t in the building. But Sykora was still a big part of the celebration.
Earlier in the game, however, he was part of the scariest moment of the Finals, when he was carried off the ice on a stretcher with 7:52 left in the first period, the victim of a vicious Derian Hatcher check.
Sykora was rushed to Baylor Medical Center, where his CAT scan was normal. He was to remain overnight for observation.
Sykora, whose head was immobilized for fear of a back or neck injury, had a full range of motion, said
team spokesman Kevin Dessart.
The play developed when the 5-foot-11 Sykora shot the puck from the Stars blue line. With his head down, the 6-5 Hatcher, skating full-steam across the ice, slammed into him. Hatcher not only jumped into the check, he also elbowed Sykora in the face.
No penalty was called.
Sykora tumbled straight onto his back, his head pounding the ice. He remained motionless for several minutes before being whisked away.
While it was unknown last night whether he was unconscious immediately after the hit, Sykora was seen speaking as he was on the stretcher. He also could move his legs.
This was Hatcher’s second devastating check in two games. In Game 5, his
hit caused the bridge in Jason Arnott’s mouth to fly out. Like last night, no penalty was called.
“It is just [Sykora] coming down across the blue line with his head down,” Hatcher said. “[I] just stepped into him. I am not sure what happened, but they said he is moving and talking. Everything is OK. That is the important thing.”
The Devils, meanwhile, continued to think about Sykora the rest of the game.
“It was in everybody’s minds,” Robinson said.
Randy McKay said that Elias and Arnott were particularly affected by the incident.
“They said, ‘Let’s do it for Syky,” McKay said.
Arnott was asked if the team would bring the Cup to Sykora’s hospital room.
“I’ll bring it there myself if I have to,” Arnott said.