Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella hospitalized after practice collision

The hits keep coming in a lost season for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

John Tortorella suffered two broken ribs in a collision with forward Rene Borque during practice on Friday - and is now set to miss Saturday's match against the Boston Bruins.

A tweet from the team read: "Tortorella did not travel to Boston with the team, and it's unlikely he will coach tomorrow's game vs. the Bruins. #CBJ."

Team president of hockey operations John Davidson told the Columbus Dispatch that Tortorella's back "locked up" after the 6-2, 217-pound Borque ran into him during an outdoor practice.

Tortorella skated off the ice on his own but was later transported to Riverside Methodist Hospital by ambulance at the insistence of team officials.

"He's stubborn but he needs to go get checked out," general manager Jarmo Kekalainen told The Dispatch. "His health is the most important thing."

Tortorella, 57, took over as Blue Jackets coach in October after Todd Richards was fired following a 0-7-0 start.

The Blue Jackets are 17-20-4 under the veteran coach but remain at the bottom of the NHL standings with 38 points.