Damar Hamlin gets supportive message from ex-NHLer who had similar incident

Feb 8, 2020; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Chris Pronger (44) waves to fans after it was announced that the Blues would retire his jersey next year prior to a game against the Dallas Stars at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Damar Hamlin is getting some support this week from a player who has been there before.

Retired former NHL defenseman Chris Pronger tweeted a message Tuesday for the Buffalo Bills safety Hamlin, who collapsed after making a tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night.

“Prayers that Damar Hamlin can have the same outcome that I was fortunate to have with my incident,” Pronger wrote. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Damar, his family, teammates and the greater NFL community during this incredibly scary time.”

Pronger is referring to the scary incident of his own back in 1998. During a playoff game against the Detroit Red Wings, Pronger took a slap shot to his chest area and collapsed to the ice. Like Hamlin, Pronger was briefly able to get to his feet before falling back down, having ultimately suffered cardiac arrest from the blow.

You can see the video footage of Pronger’s incident here (but beware that the clip is disturbing).

Pronger was immediately treated on the ice by medical staff and spent the night at a local hospital but was miraculously back in action just four days later. He continued his NHL career for 13 more seasons without any ill effects from the hit (though he did later suffer other troubling injuries).

A recovery like Pronger’s would definitely be a great result for Hamlin, who remains in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Hamlin’s family issued a statement on him later in the day on Tuesday.