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 SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Minnesota defenseman Kurtis Foster's broken left leg is the latest gruesome reminder of the dangers of touch-up icing in the fast-paced NHL.
Foster will miss the rest of the season, including the playoffs, after crashing hard into the boards Wednesday night during a race to the puck with San Jose rookie Torrey Mitchell. Foster had surgery Thursday to repair a displaced fracture in his femur, and a stabilizing rod was put into his leg.
Mitchell, who unintentionally touched and tripped Foster just enough to upset his balance, was trying to prevent an icing call against the Sharks by racing to touch the puck before Foster. Icing occurs when a defensive team shoots the puck across two red lines and puts it behind the other team's goal — but play doesn't stop unless the offensive team touches the puck first, leading to several scrambles for the puck in most games.
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