The Boston Bruins announced before their November 29th game against the Philadelphia Flyers that defenseman John-Michael Liles has been placed on injured reserve with a concussion. Liles sustained the injury during the first period of Boston’s Saturday game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

John-Michael Liles has been diagnosed with a concussion & will be sidelined indefinitely as the team follows the NHL's concussion protocols.

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) November 30, 2016

Boston Bruins Announce John-Michael Liles Has A Concussion

Liles joined the Bruins at the 2016 trade deadline from the Carolina Hurricanes, having previously spent time with the Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs. The thirteen-year veteran has earned five assists on the season so far, averaging 16 minutes of ice time a night. His injury came at 2:24 of the first period against the Lightning. Liles tripped over the stick of goaltender Ben Bishop and went hard into the boards. He was helped off the ice and did not return to the game.

John-Michael Liles went hard into the boards during the PK. Spent some time being tended to on the ice, before getting help down the tunnel.

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) November 27, 2016

The team felt Liles’s absence during the Philadelphia game, with his injury leaving the team without their two most experienced defensemen (team captain Zdeno Chara left the November 22nd game against the St. Louis Blues with a lower-body injury and did not return). Young players such as Brandon Carlo, Joseph Morrow, and Kevan Miller, who just came off of injured reserve himself, have had to pick up the slack, with 20-year-old Carlo coming second to only Torey Krug in ice time in the Bruins’ 3-2 shootout loss.

There is no timeline for Liles’ return. Per the NHL‘s concussion protocol, he will remain on the injured list until he has been cleared by team doctors and passes the required tests.

Main Photo: