Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones will be out “a couple of weeks” due to an upper-body injury, coach Paul Maurice said on Monday.
Jones was injured in the first period against the New York Rangers in the NHL Winter Classic on Friday in Miami. He appeared to be hit near the left collarbone by a shot from Rangers forward Alexis Lafreniere that deflected off the stick of Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola. Jones did not return to the game.
“We expect him back before the Olympic break,” Maurice said after the team’s practice. “We’re hopeful for that. We think it’s going to be that, but he’s going to be a couple weeks away.”
Florida has 16 games before the break for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games in Italy — the last on Feb. 5 against the host Tampa Bay Lightning. Jones, 31, was selected to the U.S. Olympic team’s roster on Friday. This is the first time since 2014 that NHL players are participating in the Olympics.
Jones has 24 points (six goals, 18 assists) — leading Florida’s defenseman in all three categories — and a minus-2 rating with 16 penalty minutes, 47 blocks and 38 hits in 40 games. He averages 23:29 of ice time.
The Panthers acquired Jones and a 2026 fourth-round draft pick from the Chicago Blackhawks on March 1, 2025 for a 2026 first-round selection and goaltender Spencer Knight.
A four-time All-Star, Jones has career totals of 105 goals, 360 assists, 324 penalty minutes, 1,473 blocks and 1,052 hits in 900 regular-season games for the Nashville Predators (2013-16), Columbus Blue Jackets (2016-21), Chicago Blackhawks (2021-25) and Panthers.
He also has nine goals, 24 assists, a zero rating, 24 penalty minutes, 121 blocks and 136 hits in 60 playoff games.
During the Panthers’ run to a second consecutive Stanley Cup title, Jones had nine points (four goals, five assists), a plus-11 rating, 10 penalty minutes, 25:30 average time on the ice, 31 blocks and 48 hits in 23 postseason games.
–Field Level Media
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