Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa will miss the team’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday due to a lower-body injury, per The Athletic’s Scott Powers. The veteran winger suffered the injury during the Hawks’ 7-4 win over the Flyers on Tuesday, in which he recorded his first goal of the season and 500th of his career.
He’s also considered questionable for the Hawks’ game Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Hossa didn’t practice on Thursday, which was an early indicator that he probably wouldn’t be in against Columbus. The Hawks instead practiced with Ryan Hartman on the third line next to Nick Schmaltz and Vincent Hinostroza, giving the team an all-rookie trio with Hossa sidelined.
It’s been a strong start to the season for the 37-year-old. He’s recorded one goal and three assists in four games, which puts him tied for fifth on the team. Three of those four points have come on the power play.
Hossa missed 18 games during the 2015-16 regular season due to injury, but played all 82 regular season games and 23 postseason games during the 2014-15 Cup-winning season. So while he’s getting older, he’s not that far removed from being a very durable player.
Expect a smaller role for Hossa going forward, though. At his peak 10 years ago, he was playing over 21 minutes per game, and even two years ago he was still averaging 18:33 per game. This season he’s recorded just 15:35 per game, however, which would be his lowest since his rookie season with Ottawa in 1998-99.