Avs’ Nathan MacKinnon and Rangers Adam Fox may miss All-Star Game due to injury
Anthony Scultore
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Colorado Avalanche star forward Nathan MacKinnon will miss the next three games after sustaining a facial fracture and concussion, coach Jared Bednar said Friday.
The three-game stretch will span into the All-Star break. It is not immediately known if MacKinnon will be ready to compete in the All-Star Game on Feb. 5.
MacKinnon out three game
MacKinnon tentatively is expected to return for the Avalanche’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb. 10 in Denver.
MacKinnon, 26, was bloodied by a high hit on Wednesday from Boston Bruins forward Taylor Hall. The hit caused MacKinnon’s own stick to snap back into his face.
Hall initially received a five-minute high-sticking major for the hit, but the penalty was reduced to two minutes for interference after a video review.
“I didn’t love the hit,” Bednar said Wednesday. “Whether it’s really solid or just a glancing blow, it’s the type of hit the league is trying to get rid of.”
MacKinnon has 43 points (nine goals, 34 assists) in 31 games this season. He has averaged nearly a point per game during his career, amassing 603 points (219 goals, 384 assists) in 604 games.
MacKinnon was the Avalanche’s top overall pick of the 2013 NHL Draft.
Adam Fox on IR, All-Star Game uncertain
The New York Rangers announced today that defenseman Adam Fox will be placed on IR. That requires a minimum stay of 7 days.
Fox, 23, is having a monster serious for the Blueshirts and recorded another assist against Columbus before the injury. This season, he has 47 points in 44 contests which leads all NHL blue-liners in scoring.
Early in the third period of NY’s 5-3 loss to Columbus, Fox was pinned up against the boards in what appeared to be an innocent play. However, as soon as he was released he gingerly skated to the bench in discomfort. He went to the locker-room and did not return.
“If [an injury] was going to happen, it’s perfect timing,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said via NHL.com. “We fully expect him to be back after the break.”
–Field Level Media contributed to this report