Hockey Player Collapses During Ducks-Blues Game

ANAHEIM, CA — A hockey player remained hospitalized Wednesday morning after suffering a heart issue on the bench during Tuesday night's game between the Anaheim Ducks and St. Louis Blues.

The incident occurred after St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, 36, finished his shift and came off the ice with seven minutes, 50 seconds left in the first period. Moments later, he suffered a cardiac episode and collapsed on the team bench, according to Blues general manager Doug Armstrong.

The game was immediately halted.

Blues medical trainers and Ducks medical trainers and team physicians were able to stabilize Bouwmeester where he fell.

"He was alert and moving all of his extremities as he was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center," Armstrong said. Bouwmeester was conscious and alert as he underwent further testing by the Ducks physicians, Armstrong said.

Armstrong said on Twitter that he would provide an update of Bouwmeester's condition Wednesday afternoon.

Bouwmeester is in his 18th season in the NHL. The Florida Panthers selected him as the third pick in the 2002 draft. He played 737 consecutive games from 2004 to 2014, the longest streak by a defenseman in NHL history.

The Blues acquired Bouwmeester in a 2013 trade with the Calgary Flames.

The Ducks-Blues game, postponed for the night, is to be rescheduled at a later date.