The leg injury Kings star Kevin Fiala suffered during the Olympics is season-ending, according to ESPN.
Fiala, playing with Switzerland, sustained the injury during the team’s loss to Canada on Friday.
He was stretchered off the ice with what the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation called a lower-leg injury and subsequently underwent surgery after being hospitalized, ruling him out for the rest of the 2026 Games.
And the Kings’ worst fears were confirmed Saturday with the news they won’t have him when the NHL season resumes.
Fiala, 29, was hit by Canada’s Tom Wilson before they both fell, with Wilson’s weight landing on Fiala.
“He’s a competitor, obviously,” Wilson, who plays for the Capitals, said. “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.”
These Olympics are the first since 2014 in which NHL players are competing, and Fiala represents the first major blow.
The Kings entered the Olympic break three points out of a playoff spot, having just acquired former Rangers star Artemi Panarin.
2026 WINTER OLYMPICS
Fiala is second on the team in both goals (18) and points (40).
“Very obviously sad, and it sucks for him and for us,” Kings teammate Adrian Kempe, who is playing for Sweden, said. “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 L.A. It’s just very unfortunate for him that it comes in a tournament like this that we’ve been looking forward to playing in for so long.
“I feel for him.”