Kevin Fiala Injured at Olympics, Casting Shadow Over Kings’ Playoff Push
The Olympic dream has always been a point of pride for NHL players-a chance to represent their countries on the biggest international stage. And with the league’s top talent returning to the Games in Italy this year, the excitement has been palpable. But for NHL teams, there’s always been a lurking concern: what happens if one of their stars goes down?
On Friday, that fear became reality for the Los Angeles Kings.
Fiala’s Injury Sends Shockwaves Through LA’s Locker Room
Late in the third period of Switzerland’s matchup against Canada, Kings forward Kevin Fiala suffered a brutal injury. It came on a reverse hit attempt against Canada’s Tom Wilson-a physical player with a reputation that tends to raise eyebrows anytime he's near an injury.
But in this case, there was no dirty play. Wilson simply landed awkwardly on Fiala’s leg, and the result was immediate and serious.
For the Kings, it’s a gut punch. Fiala has been a cornerstone of their offense, just two goals shy of hitting the 20-goal mark for a seventh straight season.
He poured in 35 last year and was once again tracking toward another strong campaign. More importantly, he’s been a key driver for a team locked in a tight playoff race.
Kings in the Thick of the Wild Card Chase
Heading into the Olympic break, Los Angeles sat three points behind the Anaheim Ducks for the final Western Conference wild-card spot. They’re also three points back of the Seattle Kraken for third place in the Pacific Division. Either route could get them into the postseason, but it’s a razor-thin margin-and losing Fiala for any stretch of time complicates things in a big way.
The Kings had just made a bold move before the break, acquiring Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers in a clear signal that they’re all-in on making a push. The idea was to come out of the Olympic pause with momentum and a bolstered top six. But now, they’ll be doing it without one of their most dynamic playmakers.
The Olympic Risk NHL Teams Dread
This is exactly the scenario NHL general managers and coaches fear when their players head to international tournaments. Olympic hockey may not have the same level of physicality as the NHL-fighting is off the table and big hits are less frequent-but the risk of injury is always there. And when it happens to a player like Fiala, who is central to a team’s playoff hopes, the impact is massive.
For the next nine days, every NHL team with players in Italy will be holding their breath. The Kings are now the cautionary tale, and you can bet every front office around the league is watching closely, hoping their own stars make it back unscathed.
Because while Olympic gold is a dream for the players, a deep playoff run is the goal back home-and that’s a dream that just got a lot harder for Los Angeles.