Mika Zibanejad suffers upper-body injury during Rangers' scrimmage
Rangers' Mika Zibanejad during training camp at the team practice facility on Sept. 23, 2023 Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
GREENBURGH — Mika Zibanejad left the Rangers’ intrasquad scrimmage Sunday morning after he appeared to be struck in the face with an inadvertent high stick. He was helped off the ice and to the locker room and did not return.
After the scrimmage, coach Peter Laviolette said the Blueshirts’ No. 1 center suffered an upper-body injury and that his status is day-to-day.
The scrimmage was between the players not included in the group the Rangers sent to Boston for the preseason game Sunday night. The Bruins won, 3-0.
“Well, it can happen,’’ Laviolette said of the risk of injury in a scrimmage. “It can happen anywhere. It’s a fast game and . . . those two days of practice we had [Friday and Saturday], anything could happen there. I mean, it was competitive. Guys were physical, there were little puck battles, and so there were some contact.’’
Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, Vincent Trocheck, Blake Wheeler, Barclay Goodrow, Kaapo Kakko, Nick Bonino, Tyler Pitlick, Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba, K’Andre Miller, Ryan Lindgren, Erik Gustafsson and goaltender Igor Shesterkin were the regulars expected to be on the opening night roster who took part in the scrimmage.
Notes & quotes: The Rangers made their first cuts of camp, reducing their roster to 48 players. Maxim Barbashev, Seth Barton, Zach Berzolla, Ryan McCleary, Sahil Panwar and goalie Olof Lindbom were assigned to AHL Hartford and Joe Arritsen, Bryce McConnell-Barker, Max McCue, James Petrovski and Dylan Roobroeck were returned to their junior teams. Goalie Brad Arvantis was released from his tryout.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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