In his first game back after missing 17 games with a sprained left knee, Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Marian Gaborik again was sidelined with a broken collarbone.
The team announced after a 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night that Gaborik had been placed on the injured list and would be out indefinitely.
Gaborik was injured when sandwiched between the Flyers’ Braydon Coburn and Zac Rinaldo while taking a shot midway through the first period of the game.
Gaborik’s shot went just wide, where teammate Nick Foligno collected it and fed Ryan Johansen for the game’s first goal.
The 31-year-old Slovakian, who has 341 goals and 345 assists in 787 career NHL games, immediately skated off the ice and went to the dressing room.
“Obviously, it’s a big hole for our team,” coach Todd Richards said. “You really feel for him. He worked hard to get back and was excited to play.”
Gaborik was expected to be an integral part of Slovakia’s Olympic team.
“It’s real disappointing for our team, and you feel for Marian,” Richards said.
Blue Jackets teammate Ryan Johansen, who had two goals in the Blue Jackets’ 6-3 victory over the Flyers, said the club got a surge just knowing that Gaborik was coming back on Saturday night.
“It brought some energy before the game when you have a star coming back,” Johansen said. “Then to see him go down like that, I feel bad. It’s really unfortunate.”
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