Rangers lose Igor Shesterkin, Adam Fox in devastating injury update
If the New York Rangers are to remain afloat in the NHL playoff race this month before the Olympic break, they’ll need to do so without two of their most important and indispensable players. Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox each will miss significant time after sustaining injuries in New York’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers reportedly plan to place Shesterkin on IR with a lower-body injury as they continue to evaluate their star goalie. Fox is headed to LTIR with a lower-body injury, one week after he returned from a 14-game absence due to an upper-body injury.
It’s a brutal 1-2 gut punch for the Rangers (20-18-6), who own the worst points percentage in the Eastern Conference, yet remain just three points out of the second wild-card spot.
The Fox update is a stunning development. The 27-year-old defenseman logged over 23 minutes of ice time against the Mammoth, though didn’t take a shift in overtime. He quarterbacked a failed power-play opportunity in the final minutes of regulation, but it’s difficult to pinpoint when or how he was hurt.
Fox returned to the lineup New Years Eve and recorded two points — a power-play goal and an assist — in a 6-3 loss to the Washington Capitals. He was pointless in the next two games, including the rousing 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers at the 2026 NHL Winter Classic in Miami. However, he helped spark the Rangers power play, which was 5-for-8 the past three games after his return.
Shesterkin’s injury was impossible to miss. The 30-year-old netminder writhed in agony after falling back into his net at the 13-minute mark of the first period following a non-contact injury. He didn’t put weight on his left leg when helped off the ice.
However, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported Tuesday that Shesterkin avoided the “worst case scenario” with his injury.
Since he’s still being evaluated, it’s not known what Shesterkin’s timeline is. The Rangers practice again Wednesday, so coach Mike Sullivan may provide more details and answers at that time.
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