Seth Jones' new year is off to a painful start.
The Florida Panthers defenceman left Friday's Winter Classic against the New York Rangers in the first period after taking a shot up high from Alexis Lafreniere.
Jones initially went to the injury tent before heading for the Panthers' locker room. He did not return to the ice after the first intermission and was eventually ruled out by the team with an upper-body injury.
The 31-year-old blue-liner played just three minutes of the NHL's annual outdoor game before leaving.
Post-game, head coach Paul Maurice told reporters that Jones would be further evaluated Saturday and that it "doesn't look terrible right now."
Ahead of puck drop, Jones was among the players honoured for being named to Team USA for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Panthers and U.S. teammate Matthew Tkachuk draped an American flag over his shoulders during the in-stadium celebration.
Jones entered Friday's action with six goals, 24 points and a minus-2 rating across 39 contests.
A veteran of 13 NHL seasons, Jones landed with the Panthers at last year's trade deadline in a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. He went on to provide Florida's D-corps with a significant boost on its way to a Stanley Cup victory.
The Panthers began Friday's game with a 21-15-3 record — a mark that had them one point out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. If Jones were to miss an extended period of time, it would mark a significant blow to a Panthers team that is already missing several important contributors.
