James Malatesta reportedly upset with himself for boarding Jared McIsaac on Sunday
It was a scary scene on Sunday, when Columbus Blue Jackets prospect James Malatesta ran Detroit Red Wings defensive prospect Jared McIsaac into the endboards during a rookie game, knocking him unconscious, leaving him motionless on the ice behind the Red Wings goal.
The team's training and medical staff were forced to secure McIsaac to a stretcher to cart him off the ice, though he did regain consciousness and was communicating with medical staff on the way off the ice.
On Monday, Malatesta spoke with The Athletic's Scott Wheeler on the subject, and according to Wheeler, appeared quite shaken and upset by the hit and its result as well.
"I was just going in on the forecheck and I saw him get it and he was climbing up and I just went down and at game speed things happen fast and he kind of turned and I tried to move out of the way but I got him there. I just hope he's OK.
"I'm not that type of player. I don't go out on the ice having intentions to hurt anyone. I've seen those things happen but to be the one to do that I was just hoping and praying that he was going to be OK and get up. My intentions weren't to hurt him or anything like that."
Early word is that McIsaac is doing alright after the unfortunate incident and that he has every intention of healing up and working his way back onto the ice as soon as he can.
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Mitch Marner | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Logan Cooley | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| William Nylander | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jack McBain | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Dylan Guenther | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Michael Kesselring | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Fraser Minten | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mikhail Sergachev | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Chris Tanev | - | 1 | 1 | |
| John Tavares | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Simon Benoit | - | - | - | |
| Nick Bjugstad | - | - | - | |
| Michael Carcone | - | - | - | |
| Ian Cole | - | - | - | |
| Lawson Crouse | - | - | - | |
| Connor Dewar | - | - | - | |
| Oliver Ekman-Larsson | - | - | - | |
| Barrett Hayton | - | - | - | |
| Pontus Holmberg | - | - | - | |
| Clayton Keller | - | - | - | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 21 | 17 | 4 | - | 34 | |
Wild | 20 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 30 | |
Devils | 23 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 30 | |
Hurricanes | 20 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 29 | |
Golden Knights | 21 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 28 | |
Maple Leafs | 21 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 28 | |
Capitals | 20 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 27 | |
Flames | 21 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 27 | |
Stars | 19 | 13 | 6 | - | 26 | |
Rangers | 19 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 25 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||