Olympics nightmare: LA Kings star suffers devastating season blow
Los Angeles Kings forward Kevin Fiala looks set to miss the remainder of the NHL campaign after undergoing surgery for a serious leg injury sustained while representing Switzerland at the Winter Olympics.
Tournament over after collision
The 29-year-old was ruled out of the rest of the Milan Cortina Games after being stretchered off the ice during a group stage defeat to Canada.
The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation confirmed that the winger required an operation after being hospitalised with a lower leg issue.
The incident occurred with under three minutes remaining in Canada’s 5-1 victory, as Fiala backed into a challenge from Tom Wilson.
Both players became tangled near the side boards, with the Washington Capitals forward landing with his full weight on the Swiss star’s leg.
‘Just unlucky’
Play was immediately halted as medical staff attended to the stricken forward, who was eventually wheeled away face-down with an air cast applied to his left leg.
Officials determined there was no penalty on the play, a decision supported by Swiss head coach Patrick Fischer, who deemed the collision accidental.
Wilson expressed his regret following the game, insisting there was no malice in the challenge.
“He’s a competitor, obviously. At this point, it’s the Olympic Games, and I feel terrible that he may not be able to keep playing and just sending his family and him my best.”
“You never want to see a guy go down in a tournament like this, especially. It sucks for the country, for their team, and just wishing him a quick recovery.”
A crushing blow for Los Angeles
The severity of the injury represents a potential disaster for the Kings’ postseason ambitions.
Los Angeles currently sit three points outside the playoff places in the Western Conference and had recently signalled their intent by trading for Artemi Panarin before the international break.
Fiala has been pivotal to their attack this term, ranking second on the roster for both goals and overall points.
Kings teammate Adrian Kempe, speaking after Sweden’s victory over Slovakia, admitted the news was a heavy burden for the squad.
“Very obviously sad, and it sucks for him and for us. It’s really tough for him personally and for us as a team. You know how much he means to our team back home in LA.”