Toronto Maple Leafs star Matthews sidelined for at least three weeks
Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews will miss at least three weeks with a knee sprain, the team announced Friday.
The 25-year-old centre has 25 goals and 53 points in 47 contests this season.
Matthews missed two games earlier this month with an undisclosed injury and an illness.
Last season's Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP was on the ice for Mitch Marner's overtime goal against the New York Rangers on Wednesday.
The team said in a tweet the injury was suffered during that game.
"(He is) such a big part of our team and one of the best players in the world," Toronto captain John Tavares said of Matthews. "Hopefully he gets back here as quick as possible. He'll do everything that needs to be done to do that and be ready to play."
Tavares skated between Marner and Michael Bunting at Friday's morning skate, while Pontus Holmberg centred William Nylander and Calle Jarnkrok.
"For us as a team, we have to come together and, not really try and fill the void, but just play to our team identity and what's made us successful," Tavares added. "We've shown good depth throughout throughout the season."
"(There is an) opportunity for other guys to step up."
The injury will prevent Matthews from taking part in next week's NHL All-Star Game in Florida. The NHL announced Friday that Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov will replace Matthews on the Atlantic Division roster.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan, 27, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.