Ottawa Senators defenceman Jake Sanderson exited his team’s season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs with an apparent injury on Saturday night.
Sanderson only skated 4:29 on six shifts, blocking a shot and giving out one hit before exiting the game in the first period. He left after getting tangled up with Maple Leafs forward Nick Paul and colliding into the boards.
The 6-foot-2, left-shot blueliner had been dealing with an undisclosed injury throughout training camp that only allowed him to play one period during the pre-season.
Sanderson was one of the Senators most valuable defencemen last season, registering 14 goals and 54 points in 67 games. He also finished ninth in the NHL last season in ice time, averaging 24:50.
The 24-year-old also had two assists in three playoff games last year before the Senators were eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes in a sweep.
A native of Whitefish, Mont., Sanderson helped the United States to a gold medal at Milano Cortina 2026, giving his country their first victory since 1980.
The Senators finished fifth in the Atlantic Division last season with a 44-27-11 record, which was good enough to claim the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
