Jets’ Haydn Fleury released from hospital after scary injury vs. Golden Knights

The Winnipeg Jets are in the midst of an abysmal 10-game losing streak after falling 4-3 to the Vegas Golden Knights on home ice on Tuesday — but they’re dealing with something bigger than hockey after a scary injury to defenseman Haydn Fleury.

Fleury slid hard into the end boards in the first period of the contest after a collision with Knights forward Keegan Kolesar, and was taken off the ice on a stretcher. The 29-year-old was transported to a local hospital and discharged late in the evening.

“He’s got a broken nose, a bruised back,” head coach Scott Arniel confirmed on Wednesday, per NHL.com. “Obviously, it’s not at first what we thought. It’s not as serious as when we’re seeing him go off on a stretcher. He was banged up pretty good, he felt it. But it’s great to see him here today and see him around the room.”

Scary scene in Winnipeg as Haydn Fleury leaves the game on a stretcher after crashing into the boards back first. Was pushed by #VegasBorn’s Keegan Kolesar, who fights captain Adam Lowry after play restarted. #GoJetsGo pic.twitter.com/pXpycpSIs8

— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) January 7, 2026

That’s certainly a piece of positive news, as the injury could have been a lot worse — especially considering his head and upper body made contact with the boards on the play.

Kolesar was not penalized for his actions, and Jets captain Adam Lowry challenged him to a fight when the game restarted shortly after.

Adam Lowry and Keegan Kolesar drop the gloves pic.twitter.com/FZDcHQ8O4Y

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 7, 2026

Winnipeg announced that Fleury was fully alert and able to move his extremities after departing for the hospital, per NHL.com. The former first-round pick in the 2014 NHL Draft was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday.

“You’ve got to kind of wait and see on it,” Arniel said when asked if Fleury sustained a concussion on the play. “You bang your head that hard … I’m not saying it’s a concussion yet, but he still has to go through the next few days here and see how he feels. He may wake up three days from now and feel great or he may wake up three days from now and have some issues.”

In a corresponding move, forward Danil Zhilkin was recalled from the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.

Over 17 games with the Jets in 2025-26, Fleury has not managed a point. His best National Hockey League season came back in 2019-20, when he chipped in 14 points in 45 games as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes — the team that drafted him seventh overall.

Fleury and Winnipeg have both struggled mightily this year; the Jets have gone from worst to first after winning the President’s Trophy last season. This time around, they’re 15-21-5 and dead last in NHL standings.

With a Western Conference wildcard slot a full 10 points away, it’s possible that Arniel’s team could be the first ever to go from the best record in the league to the worst in a span of one campaign.

The Jets will look to win a game for the first time since December 13 when the Edmonton Oilers visit Canada Life Centre on Thursday night.

The post Jets’ Haydn Fleury released from hospital after scary injury vs. Golden Knights appeared first on ClutchPoints.