Police Conduct Criminal Investigation On Chara’s Brutal Hit [VIDEO]

Even if you're not a big hockey fan, the video is painful to watch.

On Tuesday night's game, Montreal Canadiens' player Max Pacioretty was escorted off the ice on a stretcher and sent to the hospital with a severe concussion and broken vertebrae due to the Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara's dirty check with 20 seconds left in the second period.

The National Hockey League announced on Wednesday that Chara, who received a five minute major penalty and a game misconduct for his hit that night, wouldn't get penalized further, which has caused quite an uproar from sponsors, fans and other NHL teams.

Montreal police will conduct a criminal investigation into the on-ice hit that sent Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty to hospital with a broken vertebra and concussion.

The announcement Thursday follows a request by Quebec's top prosecutor, Louis Dionne, to open a probe after viewing video of Tuesday night's game against the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre.

"The police investigation will be held," said Martine Berubé of the prosecutor's office.

Dionne has asked police to begin gathering evidence to help prosecutors determine if charges should be laid against Zdeno Chara, the Bruins defenceman who rode Pacioretty into the boards.

Pacioretty's head slammed into metal support holding up the glass, knocking him out cold as he fell to the ice.

Chara received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct.

The NHL ruled Wednesday that the player would receive no further discipline.

Meanwhile, Pacioretty has told TSN from his hospital bed in Montreal that he's disgusted the NHL is not suspending Chara for the hit.

"I'm not mad for myself, I'm mad because if other players see a hit like that and think it's OK, they won't be suspended. Then other players will get hurt like I got hurt," he told TSN.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman refused to comment on the incident Thursday on his way into a U.S. congressional briefing in Washington, D.C.

via Pacioretty on-ice hit to be investigated by police | Sympatico.ca Sports.

*Sorry, the video is in French, but the commentators basically comment on how brutal the hit is, how dangerous the sport is getting, and how unlucky Pacioretty was to hit the metal pole the way he did.