The NHL is seeing a strange mix of off-ice mishaps and untimely illness as the calendar turns to December. Several contenders are managing injuries that have nothing to do with actual game play, while the Colorado Avalanche are dealing with a sudden bug running through their forward group.
From burns and barbecue accidents to an illness clouding the status of one of the league’s top stars, teams are juggling depth charts in ways they did not anticipate. The situations are unrelated, but they highlight how quickly a season’s rhythm can be disrupted by incidents far from the usual wear and tear of an 82-game grind.
Hughes’ Steakhouse Mishap
New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes also landed on the injured list after an off-ice incident, though in his case, it happened during a night out. The Devils’ leading scorer underwent surgery on November 15 to repair a finger injury sustained at a steakhouse in Chicago two nights earlier. The team projected a two-month absence.
New Jersey did not specify which finger or fingers were affected, only confirming that doctors at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York performed the procedure. A photo circulating on social media later showed Hughes with his right hand heavily bandaged while out for dinner in the city with pop star Tate McRae, further underlining the unusual nature of the injury.
For the Devils, the timing is frustrating. Hughes, the first overall pick in 2019 and a key piece for the U.S. Olympic team this February in Milan, already lost the end of last season and the playoffs to a shoulder injury. That one was a classic hockey play gone wrong, as he slammed his right shoulder into the boards after a tangle with Vegas center Jack Eichel in March. Now New Jersey must again manage without its offensive centerpiece, this time because of a freak accident away from the ice.
Toropchenko Sidelined By Home Accident
St. Louis Blues forward Alexey Toropchenko is the latest player to miss time because of an odd off-ice injury. The Blues ruled him out on a week-to-week basis after he suffered burns to his legs in a home accident. The club did not release further details but made it clear the incident did not occur at the rink.
Head coach Jim Montgomery kept the explanation brief, confirming only that it had occurred at home and that the team would leave it there. The Blues now must fill a depth role in their forward group while Toropchenko recovers. His absence removes a physical, straight-line winger from their bottom six and forces the coaching staff to shuffle combinations at even strength and on the penalty kill.
This is not the kind of injury teams plan for. Conditioning, load management, and medical support can account for typical hockey issues, but not for an accidental burn suffered away from team facilities. For St. Louis, the hope is that the “week-to-week” label does not stretch much longer and that Toropchenko can return without lingering effects.
Luostarinen Out After Barbecue Mishap
The Florida Panthers, chasing a rare Stanley Cup threepeat, are dealing with their own off-beat injury issue. Center Eetu Luostarinen is out on a week-to-week basis after what head coach Paul Maurice described as a “barbequing mishap.” Details of exactly what happened have not been made public, but the result is another key contributor unavailable during a busy stretch of the schedule.
Florida does not appear to have a firm return timeline, which complicates lineup planning. Luostarinen typically stabilizes the middle of the lineup, taking challenging defensive assignments, killing penalties, and providing secondary offense. Without him, the Panthers will have to lean harder on their remaining centers and may need to adjust their matchups, particularly on the road, where they do not control the last change.
For a team with back-to-back championships, every marginal loss in depth matters. The Panthers have shown they can withstand injuries over long playoff runs, but losing a reliable center because of a non-hockey accident adds an extra layer of frustration. It also serves as another reminder that players face risks beyond blocked shots and board battles.
Avalanche Hit By Illness
While those teams navigate unusual injuries, the Colorado Avalanche face a more familiar but still disruptive issue: illness sweeping through their lineup. On Monday, the team announced that captain Gabriel Landeskog and star center Nathan MacKinnon would both miss practice due to illness. Forward Parker Kelly is also out sick, leaving the Avalanche suddenly short-handed up front.
Landeskog’s situation is particularly frustrating given his recent surge. After opening the year with just two goals in his first 23 games, the 33-year-old found some momentum with three goals over his last two outings. His status for Tuesday’s home game against the Vancouver Canucks is now in doubt, just as he seemed to be rediscovering his scoring touch and rhythm.
MacKinnon’s status looms even larger. He is currently riding a three-game point streak, with three goals and four assists over that stretch, and has already produced 13 multi-point efforts in just 25 games. At the age of 30, he is having one of the best seasons of his career, leading the NHL with 44 points and sharing the league lead in goals with 20. His pace and consistency drive Colorado’s offense and have powered the team’s blistering start.
Avalanche Depth Under Pressure
Colorado enters the week at 18-1-6, sitting atop the Central Division with one of the best goal differentials in the league. The Avalanche is scoring more than four goals per game while allowing just over two, a combination that reflects both their offensive firepower and reliable team defense. Their penalty kill has remained a strength, even as the power play continues to search for steady execution.
If MacKinnon cannot dress against Vancouver, Colorado’s depth will face one of its toughest tests of the season. The Avalanche is already thin at forward, and missing MacKinnon, Landeskog, and Kelly at the same time would remove a top-line superstar, an important veteran winger, and a bottom-six worker all at once. That kind of hit forces role changes across all four lines and increases the workload on secondary scorers and younger players.
The Canucks present a strong challenge and can exploit any lapse in structure or chemistry. Colorado may need a more balanced, by-committee approach to maintain its scoring pace and keep its defensive standard. That includes winning more battles in the neutral zone, managing the puck smartly, and getting timely contributions from the blue line.
Where Fan Loyalty Continues Beyond the Arena
Hockey culture often pops up in places unrelated to the sport: restaurants naming sandwiches after stars, breweries releasing limited-edition team-themed cans, or online communities sharing humorous memes after a big win. Fans exploring digital leisure options often want the same level of trust they expect from long-standing NHL institutions, which is why consumer research is crucial across industries. In Canada, many rely on third-party review sites for that kind of verification. Individuals seeking regulated gaming platforms are advised to verify their age eligibility, provincial compliance, and secure banking options.
Some digital-entertainment websites pay tribute to Canada’s strong hockey culture by showcasing ice hockey-themed digital experiences and sports-inspired designs. In articles discussing how these sites organize and display their collections, writers will often note that readers can visit the platform to see how hockey imagery is woven into different forms of interactive content. Casino.ca is regularly mentioned in this broader media conversation because it highlights several ice-hockey-themed slot titles that reflect the sport’s widespread influence and the continued interest in hockey-focused creative work online.
