Niko Mikkola Leaves the Game Due to Injury
The Florida Panthers defenseman, Niko Mikkola, retired from Saturday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres due to an upper-body injury. The match ended in a 3-0 defeat. Mikkola, 29, suffered the injury in the second period after a tussle with Sabres forward Tyson Kozak. In the play, Mikkola was penalized for holding and left the game shortly after. The Panthers, seeking their third consecutive Stanley Cup championship, have faced a series of significant injuries so far this season. Aleksander Barkov will be out for at least seven months due to a knee injury, while forward Matthew Tkachuk could return in December after suffering a groin tear. Coach Paul Maurice reported on Wednesday that defenseman Dmitry Kulikov will be out of action for approximately five months due to an upper-body injury. The Florida Panthers have accumulated four consecutive losses, following a season start with three wins in a row.Mikkola agreed to an eight-year, $40 million contract extension on October 2. Last season, he set personal records with six goals and 16 assists, and led Florida defensemen with 137 hits. He could be part of the Finnish team at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.We are losing important players, but on the other hand, others have the opportunity to step up and earn a place on the team, in the league. It’s a good opportunity for them. The structure is there. We have a great group of players, and everything is in our hands. We are simply going to reset, refocus, and prepare for the next game.
Sergei Bobrovsky
