The Blues and Ducks will meet in Anaheim on March 11 after the postponement caused by a medical emergency suffered by St. Louis defenseman Jay Bouwmeester earlier this month. During the first period of the Blues-Ducks game on February 11, Bouwmeester collapsed on the Blues bench and was rushed to the hospital in what was a frightening scene at Honda Center. Both teams elected to suspend the game after that incident.
For the makeup game in March, the league has decided to reset the first period clock and play a full 60-minute contest. However, the game will begin with the score tied 1-1, as it was at the time of the postponement. The stats recorded in the February 11th contest will carry over.
As a result of the rescheduling, the Blues will move a home game against the Florida Panthers from March 10 to March 9th.
Bouwmeester, 36, suffered a "cardiac episode" after completing a long first period shift and required a defibrillator to revive him after collapsing on the bench. He has since undergone a successful Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) procedure in Anaheim and has flown back to St. Louis, where he is stable and recovering.
While his health and long-term well-being remains the primary focus, Bouwmeester's hockey career is very much in jeopardy as a result of the incident. The Blues have placed him on Injured Reserve and it's very unlikely he'll play again this season.
The veteran defenseman is in his 17th NHL season and was still a key piece of St. Louis' blue line this year. In 56 games for the Blues, Bouwmeester recorded a goal and eight assists while averaging over 21 minutes of time on ice per game. He won his first Stanley Cup championship with St. Louis last season.
