A weird moment happened right as the first period concluded when the Dallas Stars hosted the Ottawa Senators on Friday night.
Just as the TV broadcast was heading to commercial to kick off intermission, cameras caught Senators defenseman Jakob Chychrun sauntering along with the Stars as they left their bench to head back to the home locker room.
This would’ve felt like a silly mistake, except the tunnel to the visiting locker room at American Airlines Center is much further down the ice near the goal line. And Chychrun sure didn’t look confused about why he wasn’t joining his teammates.
@sportsnet Wait a minute 🤔 #nhl #nhlonsn #ottawasenators #dallasstars #jakobchychrun #hockeytiktoks
Was the d-man the Senators acquired last March already fed up with his team? Did he get traded to the Stars mid-game? Was he trying to secure the game puck for Giannis Antetokounmpo?
As the theories ran wild online, Chychrun provided a completely acceptable answer that any hockey fan using Occam’s razor likely figured out right away: His face was totally gashed and required more serious medical attention.
Chychrun provided the evidence to prove it, too, and you may want to look away if you’re squeamish at all.
NSFW: Graphic image
Yep! That’ll do it. That right there is a good reason for leaving your teammates mid-game.
But, listen, Chychrun did have three assists in the first period of the Senators’ eventual 5-4 loss, so who’s to say he didn’t also want the puck after his repairs?