Daniel Winnik stretchered off after head hits the ice in frightening play

An absolutely scary scene in Denver on Thursday night. Maple Leafs forward Daniel Winnik was hit by Colorado defenseman Jan Hejda and on the play, Winnik fell backward, his head hitting the ice and neck twisting.

His body went limp immediately. A stretcher was called onto the ice to remove Winnik, the former Avalanche player. Below is the video.

The Maple Leafs official Twitter feed allayed our fears somewhat by tweeting out the following, "Daniel Winnik is alert and moving. He is currently being evaluated by the Leafs' team doctor."

Thank goodness. It looked like it could have been a lot worse.