Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb is being evaluated after a frightening injury during Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.

Head coach John Tortorella did not reveal much more on McNabb’s condition during his presser on Friday morning, but said the defenseman will be traveling back with the team for further assessment.

McNabb left the game in the first period after being struck in the face by a shot from Nikolaj Ehlers at the 10:52 mark. The puck travelled through traffic before hitting McNabb, who immediately went down on the ice in front of Vegas goaltender Carter Hart. Play was quickly stopped as both teams reacted and called for medical attention on the ice.

McNabb was able to get back to his feet and skate off under his own power, holding his face as he made his way toward the bench area, where he was met by members of the Golden Knights’ medical staff.

He did not return to the game.

Following initial evaluation at the arena, McNabb was transported to a local hospital in Raleigh for further observation.

Before the update from Tortorella, there was no official timeline provided on a potential return, and the team is expected to continue monitoring his condition closely over the coming days.

McNabb is a key part of Vegas’ blue line group, and his absence was immediately felt as the Golden Knights adjusted their defensive pairings for the remainder of the game. If he misses significant time, this could be the toughest blow to Vegas.

More updates are expected once the team returns to Las Vegas and further medical information becomes available.