Juuso Valimaki: 5-hour wait in hospital before receiving 55 stitches in his mouth

On November 14, the Coyotes were in Dallas to take on the Stars.

During the game, Juuso Valimaki blocked a shot with his face and had to leave for his team’s dressing room.

The sequence in question is terrifying:

The Coyotes defenseman was taken to hospital for treatment… And therein lies the problem, because Valimaki had to wait “hours” for treatment.

According to Frank Seravalli, the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association are currently investigating the matter.

According to Seravalli, Valimaki was dropped off at the emergency room and left to fend for himself with his wife, who had followed the team on the road to Dallas.

After an initial observation, the medical staff at the Dallas hospital told Valimaki to find himself a hotel in the area and come back the next morning, because the doctors’ attention was focused on patients with critical injuries.

The defender was clearly in need of medical assistance, however:

With a bloodied face, a hole in his mouth and significant internal bleeding, Valimaki was unable to function, sources told Daily Faceoff. – Frank Seravalli

Valimaki had to wait five hours before getting the help he needed, as he received 55 stitches (!!!) in his mouth :

Some will say that this is normal, because hockey players shouldn’t be privileged above the rest of the population…

But that’s not the point. Valimaki needed immediate help, and had he followed the hospital’s advice, he could have died:

Doctors later told the Coyotes player that if he had returned to a hotel and slept as the staff members told him to at the base, he could have asphyxiated on his own blood. – Frank Seravalli

It’s scary, honestly. And Juuso Valimaki can practically consider himself lucky to be alive today.

That’s putting it mildly. Details of the case will be interesting to follow in the coming days.

Breaking news

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– Wow.