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St. Louis Blues forward Dylan Holloway returned to the rink on Wednesday, several hours after he was taken from the bench on a stretcher.

Holloway said he “feels good today” and even admitted that he’d like to play in the Blues’ game against the visiting Utah Hockey Club on Thursday.

That’s an optimistic take by Holloway, who was hit by a puck in the neck during the first period of Tuesday night’s game against the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning.

Holloway finished his shift after being struck but received medical attention once he returned to the bench. His neck was stabilized before he was taken to the locker room on a stretcher. He was then transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.

“Obviously it was a scary situation. From what I’ve been told, the puck hit my Vagus nerve in my neck and as soon as I got hit, I knew something was a little off, but then I saw we got a little two-on-one, so I couldn’t pass up that opportunity,” Holloway said Wednesday. “As soon as I got to the bench, I was feeling a little woozy and then I didn’t really remember much from there until I was on the stretcher close to the ambulance.”

Holloway did not participate in on-ice drills Wednesday, and for good reason.

“(Doctors) told me no activity for 24 hours and then I’m good to go,” he said. “I’m hoping to play tomorrow, but we’ll see. … I was on the bike a little bit, so I was just kind of pedaling, getting my legs going a little bit, but nothing crazy. They just told me 24 hours, nothing strenuous. Hopeful to play tomorrow.”

Holloway, 23, is in his first season with the Blues after spending his first two campaigns with the Edmonton Oilers. He has four goals and two assists in 13 games for St. Louis.

–Field Level Media