Leo’s Hockey Report: Multiple players falling victim to unusual injuries this season

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes during a game against Philadelphia last January. (Credit: Noah K. Murray/AP Photo)

National Hockey League (NHL) players are facing a secondary opponent this season. 

This secondary opponent is much different from the ones they face on the ice, game in and game out.

For some NHL players, kitchen appliances and everyday household products are wreaking havoc.

Last week, New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes cut himself while attending a team dinner, resulting in deep wounds. He had surgery on his finger and will be out of action for the next eight weeks.

Before the injury, Hughes found himself enjoying a productive season. 

He has 10 goals and 10 assists in 17 games, clicking at over a point a game pace. He was on a bit of a hot streak with five points in his last five games.

The injury also puts his chances of taking part in the 2026 Olympics for the United States in jeopardy. 

Hughes is expected to be sidelined around the same date that countries submit their rosters to the International Olympic Committee.  

"It's a tough situation obviously," Devils Head Coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters. "You feel for Jack. He's been playing so well, he worked so hard last summer to get himself back and was playing very well so it's tough for him, tough for us as a team."

With Hughes being on the shelf, the Devils find themselves with a plethora of holes to fill on their roster. 

Hughes is relied upon to produce much of the team's offence, not to mention putting in time on their first power-play line and the penalty kill. 

Yet, New Jersey is coming prepared to handle the adversity.  

Dawson Mercer will hopefully see his minutes expand. The forward and pride of Carbonear, N.L., is someone with room for growth and improvement while entering his fifth season playing in the NHL. 

Therefore, having Hughes on the sidelines with a hand injury should cause his minutes to expand and skillset to improve.  

Arseni Gritsyuk is another player on the Devils roster with untapped potential who is expected to bloom in Hughes’ absence.  

Gritsyuk is a young player from Russia, drafted by New Jersey in 2019. He had his struggles to speak English early in his Devils tenure.  

Despite this issue, his soft hands and impressive play have done much of the talking. 

So far, Gritsyuk has had four points and ten goals in his first 18 career NHL games.  

“You manage it as best as you can,” Keefe told reporters. “And you hope that along the way here, we can stay healthy and get some people back and then that can make it a lot easier.” 

Hughes wasn’t the only NHL player to suffer an unusual injury over the last couple of weeks. 

Florida Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen suffered an accident last week while using a barbecue grill, resulting in multiple burns. 

Luostarinen is considered week-to-week with his ailment. As of right now, the team has no concrete and set timetable for the Finland native’s return to the ice.

Having Luostarinen on the shelf is only the latest in a long line of injuries for the Panthers.  

Matthew Tkachuk is out until December with a groin injury, with an expected return for the Panthers in December. The team’s captain and fellow Finland native, Alexsander Barkov, is out for the entire NHL season with an ACL tear— an injury from the preseason.  

Luostarinen’s grilling mishap meant rookie forward Jack Devine was called up from the American Hockey League (AHL). Devine led the Charlotte Checkers, Florida’s AHL affiliate team, with 12 points in 13 games.  

Devine also made his NHL debut against the New Jersey Devils last Thursday.

“We don’t have a lot of experience with this,” Maurice told reporters. “Some of it is when he comes back and feels comfortable with the equipment on and then it’s away we go. He wasn’t in the hospital overnight. He did see doctors in that vein.” 

This NHL season is not the only time in history when players have suffered freak injuries. 

Former defenceman Brent Sopel injured himself while picking up a cracker during the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Quebec Nordiques legend Joe Sakic broke three fingers on a snowblower, leaving him out for three months after having surgery.  

While these injuries are somewhat humorous, they are still serious in nature and can have a profound impact on the careers of Hughes and Luostarinen.

Both players have a long road ahead of them before returning to their team’s lineup. 

Having Luostarinen and Hughes back will go a long way toward  putting these unusual injuries in the rearview mirror.