Podkolzin takes dirty hit, goes down hard and starts convulsing on the ice

There was a very scary scene last night for fans in Abbotsford, BC taking in an AHL game between the Abbotsford Canucks and the visiting Colorado Eagles.

Eagles defenseman Keaton Middleton absolutely dumps Canucks forward Vasili Podkolzin in the corner with a dirty slew foot maneuver that ends up with Podkolzin landing on his head. Fans have reported that Podkozlin began convulsing on the ice and suffered what appeared to be a seizure.

Here's the hit without the disturbing sequence that follows:

The Canucks rushed Podkolzin to a local hospital where he was undergoing evaluation from medical staf.

Thankfully, Podkolzin himself posted to Instagram to inform fans of his health. It looks like he's back awake and will make a full recovery.

Incredible news, obviously.

You never want to see a player suffer a serious brain injury and in the moment that's what Podkolzin appeared to be suffering through. Here's hoping he makes a full recovery and gets back to the lineup in short order.

The 22 year old Podkolzin has been absolutely electric for Abbortsford since being assigned to the AHL from the NHL's Vancouver Canucks. He has five goals and seven points in the Canucks' first six games this season. He spent last season split between the NHL and the AHL and struggled to find consistency in either league. The former 1st round pick, 10th overall in 2019, has shone flashes of brilliance since coming over to North America, but has just to fulfill his full potential. The Canucks seen the gritty Russian as a hard checking forward who can drive play offensively and defensively and who can chip in some offensive production.

He has undeniable hockey sense and the work ethic of a junk yard dog, but has lacked touch and offensive creativity so far in his pro game. He's like a wrecking ball out there who likes to drive to the net and create chaos. 

Again, here's hoping he makes a full recovery so he can get back to doing what he does best.