UPDATE: Neuvirth was released from the hospital Sunday. New details HERE
Flyers goalie Michal Neuvirth inexplicably collapsed 7 minutes, 37 seconds into Saturday night's 3-0 win over the Devils and had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher.
Neuvirth remained in Pennsylvania Hospital overnight and is being monitored, the club said, adding he was alert.
From what players suggested, Neuvirth may be suffering from the flu, which has been going around the dressing room for weeks now.
"I don't want to speculate -- he's had a little bit of a chest cold, there's been a few things going around, there has been all winter," general manager Ron Hextall said.
Sports
In partnership with NBC Sports Philadelphia
"We sent him over to the hospital for precautionary reasons, everything so far has been good, things are positive."
Neuvirth will remain in Philadelphia even if he is released from the hospital. And if Steve Mason, who is also ill, can't make it to New York, then the club will recall Alex Lyon from the Phantoms, Hextall said.
Anthony Stolarz, who played 52:23 but didn't get the win because Neuvirth had a 1-0 lead when he left the game, will go to New York regardless.
"The plan right now is to have him checked out by the doctor on Monday just to make sure," Hextall said of Neuvirth. "He won’t be available tomorrow."
Neuvirth was in a crouch position awaiting a neutral-zone faceoff when he slumped to his left then fell over backward onto the ice, fully outstretched.
Neuvirth did not move at all until medical personnel rushed onto the ice. He eventually began to move his legs and within several minutes was sitting upright before being helped onto the stretcher.
Neuvirth was the scheduled starter in this game, as Mason was 0-9 lifetime against the Devils. Mason was to work Sunday's game in New York against the Rangers.
"As far as Mason, I don't know yet," Hextall said.
Because of Mason's illness, the Flyers had to recall Stolarz from the Phantoms on an emergency basis. Stolarz arrived late at the Wells Fargo Center, missed warmups and was still in the dressing room when the game began.
He got to the bench early in the opening minute of play.
Neuvirth was attended on the ice by the entire Flyers medical team, including trainer Jim McCrossin and team orthopedic surgeon Peter DeLuca, among others.
Hextall and others sitting in the Flyers' executive balcony boxes emptied out and went immediately to the dressing room.
In 2010, Atlanta Thrashers (now Winnipeg Jets) goalie Ondrej Pavelec collapsed in his crease against the Washington Capitals. Neuvirth was the opposing goalie.
Serving as an emergency backup to Stolarz was Eric Semborski. Semborski is a Temple University graduate and Hockey Director at the North East Skate Zone in Philadelphia.
He was an emergency backup in Philadelphia earlier this season when the Chicago Blackhawks lost goalie Corey Crawford to an emergency appendectomy hours before the game.
