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Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty was on the losing end of a viscous hit by Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, and he is still hospitalized with a severe concussion and a non-displaced fractured fourth cervical vertebrae in his neck. Montreal fans were in shock when they saw the terrible collision that sent Pacioretty into a glass partition in between the benches, and looked on as medical staff rushed him off the ice unconscious (video below.)

The NHL released a statement today saying they would not penalize Chara for the hit. National Hockey League Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations Mike Murphy said in a statement released today “I conducted a hearing with Boston Bruins’ defenseman Zdeno Chara with respect to the major penalty for interference and game misconduct that he was assessed at 19:44 of the second period for a hit on Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens. After a thorough review of the video I can find no basis to impose supplemental discipline. This hit resulted from a play that evolved and then happened very quickly — with both players skating in the same direction and with Chara attempting to angle his opponent into the boards. I could not find any evidence to suggest that, beyond this being a correct call for interference, that Chara targeted the head of his opponent, left his feet or delivered the check in any other manner that could be deemed to be dangerous.

Murphy also noted that Chara’s 13 year history with NHL was a factor in making the decision. He said “This was a hockey play that resulted in an injury because of the player colliding with the stanchion and then the ice surface. In reviewing this play, I also took into consideration that Chara has not been involved in a supplemental discipline incident during his 13-year NHL career.”

Before the statement was released this afternoon, the Montreal Canadiens coach Jacques Martin read from statement he had prepared after the morning skate. He said “The players feel for their teammate. Max is a popular teammate. He is a young player learning the ropes of playing in the National Hockey League and he had some great mentors here.” He also went on to say that the players and the team will miss what he brings tot he table. He said “He added another dimension to our team. It wasn’t only his speed, but he played a very direct game. He did very good work around the net and in front of the goalie. He was strong on our power play. But it gives an opportunity to someone else in our lineup to seize that chance.” He concluded “When he’s showing no signs of life, it’s scary, but what was reassuring was to see the response of our medical staff.”

Martin said his return is indefinite, and right now they are just concerned for his health. He also went on to ask the media to respect the privacy of Pacioretty and his family, as both his parents were at the Bell Centre to watch Tuesday night’s game and are with him at the hospital. “The most important thing for our organization right now is Max’s recovery. We will continue following recommendations from the doctors and of course, Max and his immediate family would appreciate privacy in this matter.”

Here is the video of the hit:

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