Canadian ice hockey player Sebastien Courcelles was horrifically injured when an opponent's blade sliced his cheek open.
Courcelles's face landed on the skate of Trois Rivieres Vikings' Jean-Michel Bolduc after he fell to the ice, which was soon coloured by claret.
His Isothermic teammate, Bobby Baril, nearly fainted upon seeing the gash, as the teams' Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey match was delayed.
Courcelle's brother, Simon, who also plays for Isothermic, is a firefighter and responded swiftly to treat his sibling.
"He shouted to put pressure on my cheek," Courcelles told Le Journal de Quebec. "He then said to call the ambulance... at that time, I told myself that it must not be pretty."
Pictures of Courcelles with his wound stitched up have since appeared, and the Canadian thanked well-wishers on Twitter.
