Jets centre Little hospitalized after being struck near the ear by a puck

Winnipeg Jets forward Bryan Little was hospitalized after he was struck near the ear by a puck in a 2-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night at Bell MTS Place.

Little was transported to St. Boniface Hospital and needed 25-30 stitches to close a laceration before he was transferred to the Health Sciences Centre’s neurological unit for further observation. He was alert at all times and was in good spirits Wednesday morning, the Jets said in a statement.

The team did not provide further details. The 31-year-old centre missed the first nine games of the season with a concussion.

Little was skating behind the net midway through the third period when teammate Nikolaj Ehlers fired a rising slapshot from the point. The puck hit Little on his left side and he fell to the ice, putting his head in his hands as blood dripped from the cut.

Ehlers and a team trainer helped him as he skated off the ice to the dressing room. Little, who’s in his 13th NHL season, has five points (2-3) in seven games.

The Jets will host the Vancouver Canucks on Friday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2019.