34-year-old Boston Bruins forward Chris Kelly will miss six to eight months after sustaining a fractured femur in Tuesday’s loss to the Dallas Stars, the team announced during the third period of the game. He is slated to undergo surgery on Wednesday.
It was an ugly fall that took him out of the game, with Zdeno Chara and team doctors carrying him off the ice and Kelly putting no weight on either of his legs.
It looked incredibly painful (replay below is not for the squeamish) and it’s a tough turn for a player who is about to turn 35. An injury with that long of a recovery could be tough to bounce back from.
It will be tough on the Bruins as well, who are surging in the standings, but have already had their depth tested with a number of injuries early in the season. Coach Claude Julien had called Kelly a Swiss Army Knife and that high praise highlights the kind of depth player the team lost Tuesday.
You can get a look at the play, where his leg just appears to catch and give out under him, below via a GIF from @myregularface.
https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/661697494297001984
Per Sweeney, Kelly sustained a left femur fracture in the 1st period of tonight’s B's/Stars game & was transported to Mass General Hospital
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) November 4, 2015
Kelly played 11 games this season, scoring a pair of goals.
