Recently in the NHL, Brandon Dubinsky was spared a potentially gruesome injury when the skate of Tyler Myers flew up and caught him on the helmet.
Maxim Yakutsenya of Trakor in the KHL can relate.
In a Gagarin Cup semifinal, Yakutsenya was moving up ice after a turnover when he checked Alexander Nesterov of Avangard to earn some separation. Nesterov awkwardly hit the boards and his leg kicked up in the air like a Rockette, catching Yakutsenya on the helmet.
Yakutsenya checked to make sure he hadn't been lobotomized, and continued the play.
We really, really, really want to give Nesterov the benefit of the doubt here, that this was accidental. Because Van Damme'ing a guy with a hockey skate just because he swiped the puck is a concept we can't wrap our Simian brains around. Although it does qualify him for a contract with Vityaz next season.