COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Blue Jackets put Zach Werenski on injured reserve Friday and expect the defenceman to miss one to two weeks with a bruised quadriceps muscle.
Werenski took a knee-on-knee hit from Philadelphia’s Garnet Hathaway in a season-opening loss to the Flyers on Thursday night. The NHL's department of player safety fined Hathaway $5,000 for kneeing, the maximum amount allowed under the collective bargaining agreement.
Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said after the game that Werenski was dealing with a charley horse and that the injury was “not long term.”
Werenski, 26, was playing his first game since tearing the labrum in his right shoulder Nov. 10, also against Philadelphia, and undergoing season-ending surgery. Columbus recalled 19-year-old rookie David Jiricek to take Werenski’s spot on the roster.
After the game, Blue Jackets defenceman Erik Gudbranson ripped Hathway for the play.
"It was (expletive) dirty," he said, per The Athletic's Aaron Portzline.
Jiricek, 19, made his NHL debut with the Blue Jackets in 2022-23, collecting two penalty minutes and five shots on goal, while averaging 18:04 of ice time in four games. The Klatovy, Czech Republic, native was selected by the Blue Jackets sixth overall at the 2022 NHL Draft.
--with files from Sportsnet staff
