Avalanche's Artturi Lehkonen taken to hospital after head-first collision into boards

Colorado Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen left Thursday's game against the Seattle Kraken in the second period after a scary head-first collision into the boards.

Lehkonen was taken to a hospital as a precaution, with the Avalanche later announcing he was alert, responsive and had full movement in his body.

The incident occurred when Lehkonen was chasing a loose puck, battling a pair of Kraken players before defenseman Jamie Oleksiak gave him a push. The combination of the shove and Lehkonen's momentum resulted in an ugly-looking crash into the boards. No penalty was called on the play.

"He's the last guy you want to see go down. He's just the ultimate warrior out there," Avalanche forward Andrew Cogliano told reporters after the game. "He's a great teammate and you never want to see that."

Colorado ultimately fell to the Kraken 4-3 in Thursday's contest, with Oliver Bjorkstrand scoring his second goal of the game with 32 seconds remaining to secure Seattle's victory.

Lehkonen has three goals and five assists through 12 games for the Avalanche this season. This is the 28-year-old's third season in Colorado after being acquired from the Montreal Canadiens ahead of the 2021-22 trade deadline.

The native of Finland scored eight goals and 14 points in 20 playoff games in 2022 to help the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup. He was rewarded with a five-year, $22.5 million contract that offseason.

Colorado's next game comes Saturday against the St. Louis Blues before a rematch with the Kraken on Monday.

This story will be updated as more details emerge.