The team said Saturday that it had called up Drew MacIntyre from its minor-league affiliate in Chicago to fill in for Pavelec, who collapsed just 2½ minutes into a season-opening win over Washington.
With play at the opposite end, Pavelec suddenly fell backward on the ice with no one around. The team said he was unconscious when taken off on a stretcher, but he came to at the hospital and even asked how the Thrashers were doing. They beat the Capitals 4-2.
Pavelec had a headache from his concussion, which may have been caused by striking his head on the ice. That wouldn't necessarily explain why he collapsed initially.
