Blues’ Alexey Toropchenko Out Week-to-Week After Unusual Home Accident
The St. Louis Blues are dealing with an unexpected curveball - and it didn’t come from the ice. Forward Alexey Toropchenko is sidelined after suffering burns to his legs in a home accident, and while the team isn’t offering many details, the injury is serious enough to put him on the shelf for the foreseeable future.
Head coach Jim Montgomery kept it tight-lipped when asked about the incident, saying only, “I just know it was a home accident, so we’re going to leave it at that.” For now, Toropchenko is listed as week-to-week, and the Blues will have to navigate his absence without knowing exactly when he’ll be back.
It’s a tough break for both Toropchenko and the team. The 26-year-old has carved out a valuable role in the Blues’ lineup with his size, motor, and defensive reliability. Losing him - especially to something off the ice - adds another wrinkle to a season that’s already demanding enough.
And while this kind of incident might sound out of the ordinary, it’s not as rare in the NHL as you might think. In fact, the league has seen a surprising number of unusual off-ice injuries in recent years.
Just this season, New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes missed time after injuring his finger at a steakhouse in Chicago. The team said the injury occurred during dinner - yes, dinner - and required surgery back on November 15.
A photo surfaced later showing Hughes dining with pop star Tate McRae, his right hand wrapped. The timeline for his return is about two months.
It’s another setback for Hughes, who also missed time last season after a shoulder injury from a collision with Vegas’ Jack Eichel.
The Florida Panthers have their own strange tale. Center Eetu Luostarinen is also listed as week-to-week after what coach Paul Maurice described as a “barbequing mishap.” No further details have been released, but the team is clearly in wait-and-see mode with his recovery.
And if you think this is a recent trend, think again. The NHL has a history of oddball injuries away from the rink.
During the league’s COVID-19 pause in 2020, reports out of Russia said Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov injured his neck and back in an ATV crash. That accident kept him out of Washington’s playoff bubble.
Samsonov has since made stops in Toronto and Vegas before heading to the KHL.
Back in 2019, the Bruins were without David Pastrnak for over a month after he injured his thumb slipping while walking to his car after a team dinner. That required tendon surgery and kept one of Boston’s top scorers off the ice during a crucial stretch.
And who could forget one of the most bizarre injuries of all? In 2012, former Kings forward Dustin Penner tweaked his back while - wait for it - eating pancakes at home.
Yes, pancakes. That story became legend, but it’s a reminder that professional athletes are just as prone to freak accidents as the rest of us.
As for Toropchenko, the Blues will monitor his recovery closely. There’s no set timetable for his return, but the hope is that the injury won’t keep him out long-term.
In the meantime, St. Louis will have to adjust, reshuffle their bottom-six, and hope this is just a temporary setback for a player who’s become an important piece of their lineup.
Injuries are part of the game - but sometimes, the weirdest ones don’t happen anywhere near the ice.