Damar Hamlin's injury brings back difficult memory for NHL Hall of Famer

For ice hockey Hall of Famer Chris Pronger, Damar Hamlin's collapse on the field during an NFL game on Monday night resonated heavily. It brought back a difficult memory for Pronger, who collapsed on the ice in 1998 during a Stanley Cup playoff game after he was struck in the chest with a hockey puck.

The former NHL star was unconscious for about 20 seconds and spent one night in the hospital. He said that after he woke up, he "really didn't know what happened." But he was back on the ice four days later.

"Prayers that Damar Hamlin can have the same outcome that I was fortunate to have with my incident," Pronger tweeted on Tuesday.

Hamlin, a Buffalo Bills safety, was critically injured on Monday during the first quarter of a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He fell shortly after tackling Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. Hamlin had gotten back on his feet after the tackle and appeared to adjust his face mask with his right hand before falling backward a few seconds later.

Emergency responders tended to him on the field before he was taken by ambulance to a hospital. The game was postponed and later suspended.

CBS News medical contributor Dr. David Agus told "CBS Mornings" Hamlin may have suffered a "remarkably rare" condition that is seen in sports when there's something that causes blunt force trauma to the chest, affecting the heartbeat.

Hamlin's uncle, Dorrian Glenn, said Tuesday that his nephew's heart stopped twice — once on the field and again at the hospital. The Bills said in a statement Thursday morning he was "making steady progress" while still hospitalized in critical condition.

"Per the physicians caring for Damar Hamlin at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours," the Bills said. "While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress."

Pronger said it's difficult to account for accidents like these, but it's important to evaluate player safety when they occur.

"After my incident in Detroit, they moved the doctors closer to the benches," he said. "In one-off situations, you've got to learn from those and figure out, is there anything we're missing?"

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