Minnesota Wild forward Yakov Trenin, the NHL’s regular‑season hits leader, was knocked down by a hard check from Dallas Stars forward Colin Blackwell during Game 1 of their playoff series on April 20, 2026.
NHL hits leader Yakov Trenin had to go to the dressing room after absorbing a massive hit on Monday, April 20.
The Minnesota Wild forward had just received a pass as he skated up ice when the Dallas Stars‘ Colin Blackwell stepped into him with a clean hit and sent him flying. Trenin was down on the ice for several minutes as trainers came out to tend to him and hold a towel to his face.
He eventually got up and started skating off the ice with assistance, then by himself.
Trenin was the NHL’s leader in hits during the regular season with 413. He had 13 hits in Game 1, a 6-1 Minnesota rout.
Blackwell ranked fourth on the Stars with 112 hits. He’s 6 inches shorter and 20 pounds lighter than Trenin.
The Stars won the game 4-2 to tie the first round series at one game each.
