Hockey is a great sport, but sometimes it can get ugly. Real ugly.
One of the most brutal knockout punches the sport of hockey has ever seen was delivered by Mark Louis on Patrik Maier in a Slovak Tipos Extraliga game on Thursday.
Louis is currently playing for Michalovce Dukla HC and has developed a reputation for being one of the league’s most-feared fighters. His latest scrap saw him take on Maier of the Bratislava Slovan.
The fight between the two players was over in a matter of seconds as Louis quickly delivered a devastating one-punch knockout blow on Maier. Maier was knocked out cold and layed down on the ice for a couple minutes before a stretcher was brought out to take him off.
You can see video of the fight below:
Reports after the game indicate Maier is okay and is expected to make a full recovery, but this was still a tough watch. The ref briefly getting in the way of Maier’s vision may have prevented him from being fully prepared for the first punch by Louis.
We all love this great game, but it’s important to remember just how dangerous it can get. Wishing the best for Patrik Maier in his recovery process.