Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko suffered a broken jaw after getting hit in the face by a puck while on the bench during Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Stars, according to multiple media reports.
Defenseman Dante Fabbro also left the game in the first period with a concussion, according to reports.
Marchenko, who has a team-leading 21 goals in addition to 34 assists for the Blue Jackets this season, was sitting on the bench when the stray puck struck the left side of his face late in the second period. He left the bench area, holding a towel to his jaw.
He was taken to a Dallas-area hospital to have his jaw reset, according to reports. It was unclear how much time he would miss, but it could be at least six weeks.
The 24-year-old is enjoying a breakout season, already setting career highs in assists, points (55) and ice time (18:48) in just 53 games. His plus-31 rating leads the NHL.
The team said Fabbro has suffered an upper-body injury.
The Blue Jackets, who have won three of their past four games, conclude a four-game road trip on Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres. Columbus sits in the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, just a point ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins, entering Monday’s games.
Field Level Media contributed to this report.