‘He’s lucky to be alive’: NHL star John Tavares recovering after taking sickening knee to the face (VIDEO)

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares is recovering today after he was stretchered off the ice having been knocked unconscious when he was accidentally kneed in the head during Thursday's Stanley Cup playoff with the Canadiens.

Players from both sides expressed extreme concern when Tavares was caught flush with a knee from Montreal's Corey Perry after he slipped on the ice directly into the path of his fast-travelling opponent. The sickening high-speed collision made Tavares spin on the ice and sent Perry flying into the air.

Tavares, 30, was quickly tended to by Maple Leafs medical staff but the gravity of the situation quickly dawned on medics when they realized that Tavares couldn't support his own weight and appeared to be having trouble controlling his body movements, with the medics frantically gesturing for additional support.

It appeared that Tavares initially attempted to stand up but lost his equilibrium and immediately fell backwards.

Thankfully, and after prolonged treatment on the ice, Tavares issued a 'thumbs-up' to the television audience while he was being stretchered away and taken to hospital, where he would remain overnight.

Several players from both sides, including Perry, consoled Tavares as he was being stretchered away.

"I was pretty disheartened to see that happen to such a good guy," Canadiens goalkeeper Carey Price said.

"I honestly felt sick to my stomach when I saw it," added Perry. "When I saw him, with the way he is, it's a scary situation. I'll reach out to him and talk to him and hopefully he's OK."

With tempers frayed after the incident, Maple Leafs' Nick Foligno engaged in an on-ice fight with Perry shortly after the game resumed.

Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe later informed the media that Tavares was responding well to treatment and that initial tests had come back "clear" – but also stated that the incident was one of the scariest he has witnessed in professional ice hockey.

"I've experienced a lot of different things, a lot of tough injuries like that in my time. In an empty building like that, it's probably the most uncomfortable situation I've been a part of on the ice. It was really tough to get through," he said.

A wave of figures within the sport have also taken to social media to wish Tavares well, with popular NHL TV host Jeff Marek writing: "That was frightening."

Another member of the media, Jeff Veillette, added that it was "one of the scariest injuries he had ever seen for a Maple Leafs player", while John Lu, of TSN, wrote: "Please be OK, John Tavares"