Dallas Stars center Rich Peverley didn't understand all the fuss. He just wanted to play.
Peverley collapsed on the Stars bench during the first period of their NHL game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night.
Doctors described the incident as a "cardiac event," took him to the hospital by ambulance, and the NHL postponed the game, according to the Dallas Morning News.
The 31-year-old Peverley missed the entire preseason and the first game of the season to receive treatment for an irregular heartbeat, the Morning News added. He has been on medication during the season and has missed only one game since the season opener.
But the missed game was last Tuesday at Columbus. The Morning News stated that Peverley's heartbeat had an issue after the Stars' home game against the Buffalo Sabres on March 3, preventing him from flying to Columbus.
"We provided oxygen for him. We started an IV," Dr. Gil Salazar of UT Southwestern St. Paul Hospital said. "We did chest compressions on him and defibrillated him, provided some electricity to bring a rhythm back to his heart, and that was successful with one attempt, which is very reassuring."
So reassuring, apparently, that Peverley asked to go back inside and finish the game.
"He was brought back to the hallway for treatment, where we treated him for a cardiac event, successfully treated with standard therapy," Salazar said. "As soon as we treated him, he regained consciousness. He was alert and awake talking to us after the event and quickly transported to the hospital. At this point, I was able to talk to him in the back of the ambulance, and he was able to tell me where he was and he actually wanted to get back in the game."
After the incident in Columbus, Peverley returned to play Thursday against Vancouver and Saturday against Minnesota.
Stars coach Lindy Ruff said Peverley had been adjusting his medication after the Buffalo game.
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