Zach Werenski out for Season After Being Hit in the Face with a Puck

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski will miss the remainder of the playoffs after being hit in the face with a puck in Sunday's loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella made the announcement Monday. Werenski was hit by a puck in the second period before briefly returning in the third. 

“It makes you sick, just because you see him trying to come back out and his eye starts swelling up between the third and overtime and you know he wants to come back out,” Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno told reporters. “What guy comes back out in that situation?

“I said to him, ‘I'm proud to be your teammate. You're a kid that's really exemplified what we're trying to build here.' It's pretty impressive from a young guy. Lots of respect from around the room for that guy. Always has been.”

Werenski, 19, has emerged as one of the best young defensemen in the sport. He recorded 47 points (36 assists, 11 goals) during the regular season and scored his first playoff goal earlier in the Blue Jackets' Game 3 loss to Pittsburgh.

The Penguins are one game away from sweeping Columbus, so it's possible Werenski will wind up missing just one game. This is still an unfortunate end to what was otherwise a brilliant season. 

 

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