Islanders’ Tavares Out for NHL Season After Olympic Knee Injury
New York Islanders captain John Tavares will miss the rest of the National Hockey League season after tearing a knee ligament at the Olympics.
Tavares, 23, tore the medial collateral ligament and meniscus in his left knee during Canada’s 2-1 quarterfinals victory over Latvia yesterday in Sochi, Russia.
The No. 1 selection in the 2009 NHL draft, Tavares has scored 24 goals with 42 assists in 59 games for the Islanders in his fifth NHL season. His 66 points are third-most in the league, trailing countrymen Sidney Crosby and Ryan Getzlaf.
The injury may reignite the debate over NHL players taking part in the Winter Olympics, a decision that takes into account travel, scheduling conflicts and player insurance. League commissioner Gary Bettman said earlier this week that a decision on the NHL’s participation in the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, could be made within the next six months.
To contact the reporter on this story: Eben Novy-Williams in New York at
enovywilliam@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at
msillup@bloomberg.net
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At least the Islanders weren't making the playoffs this year anyway. Ouch.
Fabulous young player. Possibly best center in the league after Crosby.
I'd love to have him on my team.