Chris Kreider played during the first period of the New York Rangers’ matchup against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night, but exited the game and did not return. On Thursday morning, the team announced that Kreider had a blood clot in his right arm and would be out indefinitely.
The New York Post reported Kreider would miss 6-8 weeks. However, that seems to be optimistic.
Blood clots are not rare among professional athletes, nor are they rare among hockey players. Some players like former Philadelphia Flyer Kimmo Timonen, former Pittsburgh Penguins Pascal Dupuis and Tomas Vokoun and former Ranger Jed Ortmeyer have had to end their careers over these issues.