Flyers goalie Michal Neuvirth released from hospital after collapsing during game

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia Flyers goalie Michal Neuvirth has been released from the hospital and is resting at home, the team announced Sunday.

The Flyers say all diagnostic testing has come back normal. Neuvirth will be reevaluated Monday afternoon.

Neuvirth was taken to Pennsylvania Hospital Saturday night after collapsing in his crease early in the game against the New Jersey Devils.

Neuvirth was awaiting a faceoff at the far end of the ice, about 7 1/2 minutes in, when he fell backward and landed on his back. Flyers athletic trainer Jim McCrossin quickly ran onto the ice to attend to the 29-year-old and was joined by three other team doctors.

Neuvirth, making his 28th appearance of the season and first since March 25, appeared to be unconscious for a brief time, but began moving his arms and legs and sat up in his crease before being placed on a stretcher and carted off the ice.

Neuvirth stopped six shots before the incident and did not appear to have any unusual contact in the crease prior to his collapse. The Flyers were leading 1-0 at the time.

He was replaced in goal by Anthony Stolarz, who was called up from Lehigh Valley of the AHL earlier in the day when starting goalie Steve Mason was ill. Stolarz did not arrive at the Wells Fargo Center until just before the start and did not take warmups before the game.

After Neuvirth went down, the emergency goalie was Eric Semborski, a Temple graduate and the hockey director at the North East Skate Zone in Philadelphia. Flyers coach Dave Hakstol tried getting Semborski, watching the game from the Flyers locker room, into the game with 24 seconds remaining in the third period, but was told he could not unless Stolarz was injured.

Neuvirth's collapse was eerily similar to the one by former Atlanta Thrashers goalie Ondrej Pavelec in a 2010 game against the Washington Capitals. Neuvirth was the goalie for the Capitals in that game.

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