Maple Leafs lose Morgan Rielly to injury in game vs. Sabres

Morgan Rielly got tangled up with William Carrier and hit the boards awkwardly, forcing him to leave for the dressing room during the first period of action.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly left Tuesday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres with an apparent lower-body injury and will not return.

The 22-year-old suffered the injury in the first period when he collided with Sabres winger William Carrier, falling awkwardly into the boards.

After initially heading to the dressing room, Rielly would return for just one shift, appearing to be in some discomfort before leaving the game for good.

The Vancouver native has 17 points (one goal, 16 assists) in all 41 games for the Leafs this season while averaging nearly 23 minutes of ice time per game.

Rielly has remained healthy throughout his NHL career, but suffered an ACL tear in his right knee while playing Junior, causing him to miss almost all of his draft year (2011-12) while playing for the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors.

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