The Toronto Maple Leafs were struck with a tragic turn of events in their playoff match against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. Team captain John Tavares had to leave the ice on a stretcher after taking an inadvertent knee to the head during the game and was sent to the hospital.

The team has issued an update regarding their captain.

In what was a scary sight for everybody involved, the good news is that Tavares was able to leave the hospital after a short time. Unfortunately, the Maple Leafs ended up losing the game 2-1 and now have just one day off before Game 2 on Saturday.

Seeing somebody leave on a stretcher is never a good sign, especially when it's the team captain. A video surfaced of Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas rushing to the ice after seeing Tavares down, and one can only imagine the pure concern that the organization and fanbase felt.

As for Tavares, the statement says he will be out indefinitely, so Toronto will have to find a way to keep on without him as they aim to make a run at the Stanley Cup. It's a huge blow to Toronto and their chances of advancing towards a Stanley Cup. Tavares had 19 goals on the year as the Maple Leafs grabbed the top seed in the North division, finishing the campaign with a 35-14-7 clip.

Thoughts go out to Tavares, his family, and the organization, and hopefully he can get back on the ice sooner rather than later and help lead his team to a championship.