Hit in the face by puck: Update on Linz forward Bliss

Trenton Bliss' injury overshadowed Black Wings Linz's 2-1 victory over the Vienna Capitals. Game report >>>

With 55 seconds remaining, the Linz forward was struck in the face as he fell by a shot from Konstantin Komarek and required several minutes of medical treatment.

With the help of medical staff and his teammates, Bliss was able to leave the ice, though he looked visibly shaken, and received further treatment off the rink.

"Doing quite well, all things considered"

Philipp Lukas initially offered some cautious relief: "He is doing quite well, all things considered." The Black Wings head coach rushed straight to his player after the final buzzer to check on the American's condition firsthand.

"What mattered most to me was whether he was conscious and breathing. But he was able to talk to me right away and explained what happened," said the head coach.

Bliss was eventually able to walk to the locker room, where he was monitored by medical personnel. In response to an inquiry from LAOLA1, the Black Wings confirmed that the 28-year-old will undergo further examinations at a hospital in Linz.

Lukas knows: "Something like that could have turned out much worse."