Sean Monahan’s night ended early Thursday, and the Blue Jackets are waiting to learn how long they’ll be without him.
Columbus announced on social media that the veteran forward left the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning with an upper-body injury and would not return. Monahan did not come back to the bench for the third period, and the team did not say how the injury happened.
Before exiting, Monahan picked up one assist in 9:58 of ice time. Columbus fell 3-1.
The 32-year-old has produced one goal and six assists for seven points in 17 games this season for the Blue Jackets. He signed a five-year, $27.5-million contract with Columbus ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
Monahan’s résumé is a long one. Across 14 NHL seasons, the Brampton, Ont., native has 277 goals and 361 assists for 638 points in 913 career regular-season games with Columbus, the Winnipeg Jets, Montreal Canadians and Calgary Flames. He has also scored 10 goals and added 12 assists for 22 points in 35 Stanley Cup Playoff appearances.
His best offensive stretch came with Calgary in 2018-19, when he posted career highs across the board with 34 goals, 48 assists and 82 points. He has three 30-goal seasons and four 40-point campaigns on his record.
Monahan’s path to the NHL started with the Ottawa 67’s in the Ontario Hockey League, where the No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft put up 84 goals and 119 assists for 203 points in 185 regular-season games. He added 10 goals and nine assists for 19 points in 22 OHL playoff games.
The Blue Jackets are 7-10-0 with 14 points through 17 games in 2026-27. Kent Johnson leads the club with eight goals and 17 points, and Zach Werenski tops the team with 19 assists.
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Blue Jackets Had No Answer For What Changed Everything Late
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Brandon Hagel was at the center of Tampa Bays surge, striking twice as the Lightning found a way to break through late and put the result out of reach. For Columbus, the final stretch was less about missed chances than a lack of answers once the game turned, and the injury to Monahan only added another layer of concern to a night that had already become increasingly difficult to manage. [Read more 🡒]