The Winnipeg Jets will have to play the remainder of the NHL season without their second leading scorer. Centre Bryan Little will not return this year after he has been diagnosed with a fracture to his T6 vertebrae. The injury is expected to keep Little out of the lineup for eight weeks. Jets coach Paul Maurice made the announcement to the media on Thursday Afternoon.
Coach Maurice announced Bryan Little is out for the season (compression fractured vertebrae). #NHLJets recall Halischuk from @ManitobaMoose.
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) February 25, 2016
Little was injured in last week’s 6-5 shootout loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning when he was hit by Tampa defenceman Anton Stralman. There was no penalty called on the play, and Jets coach Paul Maurice was so incensed by the non-call that he was ejected from the game for arguing with the officials.
“It was a significant amount of force that caused the compression fracture,” Jets head coach Paul Maurice told Jets TV. “We think it’s an eight week injury. Coming off that injury, we would expect because it’s stable, that once he heals through that process, he would be ready to go.”
Little, 28, has scored 17 goals and 25 assists for 42 points in 57 games this season. He has spent his entire NHL career with Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets organization putting up 163 goals and 222 assists for 385 points in 613 career games.
The Jets are expected to soon be losing their leading scorer, captain Andrew Ladd, as most observers expect that he will be traded ahead of Monday’s 3:00 pm NHL Trade Deadline. Maurice and the Jets will have to find other ways to score goals down the stretch.
“It’s a problem,” said Maurice. “I’m going to move someone to centre ice who hasn’t played centre all year. That position drives so much of what you do. We’re going to miss him greatly.”
The Jets have recalled Matt Halischuk from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose to take Little’s spot in the lineup.
The Jets have also placed defenceman Mark Stuart on injured reserve retroactive to February 13 with an upper-body injury.
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