Islanders Captain Bo Horvat Good To Go After ‘scary’ Hit From Chicago’s Frank Nazar

The Islanders have dodged a massive bullet. 

Bo Horvat was back on the ice with the team for Saturday’s morning skate despite taking a dirty open-ice hit from Chicago Blackhawks winger Frank Nazar late in Thursday night’s win. 

Horvat was evaluated by doctors and New York’s training staff during their off day, and he’s deemed himself ready to go for Saturday night’s meeting with the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

“Hits like those you never know, right,” the captain said. “Anytime the principal point of contact is my head it’s always scary, but I feel fine -- the right side of my head hurts a little bit, but other than that I feel pretty good.”

Horvat, of course, took Nazar’s shoulder directly to the head after burying an empty-netter, sending him twisting in the air before landing directly on his side. 

Nazar was dealt a major penalty and game misconduct for the hit, and later received a two-game suspension after meeting with the NHL Department of Player Safety.

Horvat, though, didn’t view the dangerous play as anything done intentionally. 

“It was just a chain of unfortunate events,” he explained. “I definitely didn’t see him, but I don’t think he’s the type of player to go looking for that -- it just ended up working out that way.”

Either way, the Islanders are thrilled their leader won’t have to miss any time.

“It’s a huge relief,” head coach Pete DeBoer said. “Felt it was a dangerous hit, but obviously the league dealt with it -- on our end, I’m just thankful that he’s available because sometimes headshots like that you can lose a guy for a while.”

Horvat has scored four times and added an assist over New York’s first four games.