Sabres camp invite taken off ice on stretcher

For the past week, the youth of the Buffalo Sabres organization have been going through with the team's annual development camp. As the week was set to conclude with the French Connection 3-on-3 Tournament, a scary moment occurred at the HarborCenter.

Michael Campoli, an 18-year-old defenseman participating this week on a camp invite, had to be taken off on a stretcher following being hit near the boards.

Medical still tending to Campoli on the ice. @WKBW pic.twitter.com/tOQkuUZsWQ

— Nick Filipowski (@NICK_WKBW) July 12, 2016

Campoli was hit by forward William Carrier and stayed down on the ice, while a crowd of trainers came to attend to him. The defenseman was eventually turned onto his back as the medical team stabilized his neck, and then loaded onto the stretcher and was taken off the ice. Before leaving the ice, he was alert and conversing with the training staff.

After a long delay due to the injury, the Sabres continued on with their 3-on-3 tournament. No immediate update on Campoli was made available at the time, though the team did tweet the following shortly after the incident: 

Please join us in sending well wishes to @michaelcampoli who was assisted off the ice at Development Camp.

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) July 12, 2016

UPDATE: Following the end of development camp, Sabres general manager Tim Murray said Campoli was awake, joking around, and moving all his extremities. Campoli was still sent to the hospital following the incident.

He tweeted in the afternoon that he was released from the hospital, and everything is fine with him.

Thanks for all the get well wishes! I'm out of the hospital and feeling good! Big thanks to the @BuffaloSabres organization #Sabres

— Michael Campoli (@michaelcampoli) July 12, 2016

Twitter: @JoeBuscaglia