The Manitoba Moose will be without two of their key players for the rest of the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs.
Just two days before the start of their Central Division semifinal series, Moose head coach Mark Morrison revealed both defenceman Elias Salomonsson and forward Nikita Chibrikov are done for the playoffs after suffering season-ending injuries.
Chibrikov was injured with the Winnipeg Jets at the end of the regular season, while Salomonsson was hurt in the third period of the deciding Game 3 on Sunday after falling awkwardly in the boards.
“Sally won’t be with us,” said Morrison. “He’s having an operation right now and yeah, he’ll be out for the rest of our season anyways.”
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The Jets issued a statement later on Thursday, confirming Salomonsson underwent successful surgery on his shoulder earlier in the day. His rehab is expected to take five to six months, so he’ll miss the start of training camp in the fall and possibly the beginning of next season as well.
“That’s a big loss,” said Moose defenceman Tyrel Bauer. “You know what Sal brings to us. You saw what he brought at the next level. He’s a great player and a great human being that helps us win a lot of hockey games. So, that being said, it’s just next man up.”
Chibrikov had successful core muscle surgery last week and his timeline for a recovery is estimated to be six to eight weeks.
The 21-year-old Salomonsson played 29 games for the Moose but finished the regular season with the Jets. He had one goal and eight assists in the AHL, with one goal and four helpers in 32 NHL games with the Jets.
The 23-year-old Chibrikov also split time between the two clubs, appearing in 53 AHL games and 11 NHL contests.
The Moose host the Grand Rapids Griffins in Game 1 of a best-of-five series on Saturday afternoon at the Canada Life Centre.
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