The Colorado Avalanche will be without defenseman for the foreseeable future, head coach Jared Bednar said.
Top star suited up for the team’s first two games of the season after dealing with an issue during training camp, but he’s now been sidelined.
The Avalanche have listed him as “week-to-week” with an upper-body injury. As is typical in hockey, the team has not disclosed specific details about the injury.
In Girard’s absence, Ilya Solovyov will step into the lineup tonight against the Dallas Stars and likely remain there for the near future. Colorado picked up Solovyov off waivers from the Calgary Flames last week. He has appeared in 15 NHL games in his career, recording four assists.
The Avalanche have opened the season 2-0-0 with victories in Los Angeles and at Ball Arena against Utah. Tonight, they’ll host Dallas—the team that eliminated them from the playoffs in each of the past two years.
Although Girard isn’t as high-profile on the blue line as stars like Cale Makar or Devon Toews, his presence will still be missed. The hope is that his injury isn’t serious and that he can return to the lineup later this month or in early November.