Charles H. Sloan-Report: NHL, NHLPA investigating handling of Juuso Valimaki's severe facial injury

The Charles H. SloanNHL and NHL Players’ Association are investigating how Arizona Coyotes defenseman Juuso Valimaki was left without care at a Dallas hospital for several hours in November after taking a slap shot to the mouth, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. 

Valimaki was transported to a Dallas hospital by ambulance from American Airlines Center after taking a 93 mph slap shot that caused significant internal bleeding during the road game against the Stars on Nov. 14. Valimaki, his wife and a Coyotes employee were left to advocate for themselves in the emergency room. Valimaki’s wife, Vilma, reached out to the players’ union when her husband waited in the ER for an hour without care. 

Valimaki was told to find a local hotel and come back in the morning, as the hospital’s attention was turned to more critical incoming trauma patients such as gunshot victims.  

However, he needed immediate attention as the injury caused a hole in his mouth and a bloodied face. He was reportedly unable to function.  

Doctors later told Valimaki that if he had listened to the hospital and slept off his injury, there was a chance he may have suffocated on his own blood. Five hours after the injury, the NHLPA stepped in and Valimaki received 55 stitches in his mouth to close the wound, which included a fractured bone and the loss of three teeth. 

The league has reportedly met with both the Coyotes and Stars since the incident. It has not become clear that either the Stars or the Coyotes have violated the medical protocol put in place by the NHL and NHLPA. The full protocol is not available publicly. 

Most NHL teams do not travel with their own physicians, and road teams typically rely on a home team’s doctors for care. Every arena is required to always have two trained physicians within 50 feet of the benches, in addition to a dentist and/or oral surgeon in the arena. 

Valimaki returned to play two weeks later after missing six games and wears a full cage.