Alexei Trobchenko has become the latest hockey player to be sidelined due to an unusual off-ice injury. The St. Louis Blues announced that he is receiving weekly medical care after suffering burns on his leg from an incident at home. They haven’t released many details about the situation.
“It’s known to be a domestic incident, so that’s all we’re going to say,” said coach Jim Montgomery at a media briefing following the team’s morning skate.
Trobchenko marks the third NHL player this season to face off-ice injuries, adding to a list of odd mishaps that have occurred over the last decade.
Jack Hughes injures finger during dinner
New Jersey Devils’ top scorer, Jack Hughes, had surgery on November 15 for a finger injury he sustained during an unfortunate dinner accident at a Chicago steakhouse just two nights earlier. It’s expected he will be out for roughly two months.
The medical team did not specify which finger was affected, only confirming that Hughes had surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. An image shared on social media showed him dining alongside pop star Tate McRae, with a bandage on his right hand.
Hughes, who was the top pick in the 2019 draft and is anticipated to join the U.S. Olympic team in Milan this February, missed the latter part of last season and the playoffs due to shoulder surgery. That injury was from a game against Las Vegas, where he collided with Jack Eichel and went into the boards shoulder-first.
Ietu Luostarinen out following barbecue mishap
The Florida Panthers, two-time Stanley Cup champions searching for their third title, are managing without Finnish center Ietu Luostarinen. Manager Paul Maurice confirmed that he is out due to a “barbecue accident.”
After his injury was announced on November 19, Luostarinen was placed on a week-to-week list, but there hasn’t been any specific return timeline given by the team.
Ilya Samsonov injured in ATV accident in Russia
During the NHL’s hiatus in March 2020 due to the pandemic, the Washington Capitals lost goaltender Ilya Samsonov after he reportedly fell from an all-terrain vehicle in Magnitogorsk, suffering injuries to his neck and back. Post-injury, he continued playing for two more seasons with the Capitals before transitioning to Toronto and Las Vegas, eventually making his way back to the KHL this season.
David Pastrnak injures thumb after dinner
The Boston Bruins experienced a tense 2019 playoff stretch before captain Zdeno Chara faced a broken jaw in the Stanley Cup Final against St. Louis. The team reported that winger David Pastrnak injured his left thumb after falling while walking to transportation following a sponsorship dinner in February.
Pastrnak had to undergo tendon surgery and was sidelined for over a month. Since his return, only Steven Stamkos from Tampa Bay, who recently achieved his 400th career regular-season goal, has outperformed Pastrnak’s 15 points.
Dustin Penner injures back while eating pancakes
Veteran forward Dustin Penner missed a game with the Los Angeles Kings in January 2012 after throwing out his hip while sitting down to eat pancakes his wife had made. Penner labeled it a one-off incident and hoped it wouldn’t lead to ongoing issues.
“I felt great when I woke up, sat down to eat, and suddenly I was in pain,” Penner shared with the Kings website at the time. “I’ve never gone through anything like that before; I couldn’t even get up.”
Fortunately, he practiced the next day and returned to the lineup soon after, missing just five games for the rest of the season. He contributed 11 points, helping the Kings clinch their first-ever Stanley Cup.
