Ex-NHL star saves choking victim’s life at Kings-Red Wings game: Lightning scout Tony Hrkac, 57, ‘rushed to perform Heimlich as league staffer turned purple while eating pretzels’

A 57-year-old former NHL star is credited with saving the life of a league employee by performing the Heimlich maneuver when the person turned “purplish” during a recent Kings-Red Wings game in Los Angeles.

Tony Hrkac, a retired center who now serves as a Tampa Bay Lightning scout, was sitting in the Kings press box when someone started choking, according to TMZ.

According to sources, that person began to change color when Hrkac rushed in and performed the life-saving Heimlich maneuver.

The employee, who did not want to be identified, soon began breathing normally after coughing up a piece of pretzel.

Those at the scene told TMZ that Hrkac saved the person’s life.

Kings spokespeople did not immediately respond to Mail Sport’s request for more information.

Born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Harkac attended the University of North Dakota, where he received the Hobey Baker Award as the country’s top college player. Hrkac eventually won a national title alongside his future Chicago Blackhawks teammate, Ed Belfour.

Although not a top prospect, Hrkac was selected in the second round of the 1984 NHL Draft by the St. Louis Blues ahead of future Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy.

Hrkac would go on to play for the Quebec Nordiques, San Jose Sharks, Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, Anaheim Mighty Ducks and Atlanta Thrashers.

Although his NHL career ended in 2003, he still played 174 American Hockey League games for the Milwaukee Admirals and Houston Eros from 2003 to 2010.

Hrkac also coached at Concordia University Wisconsin and won only 10 of 139 games.