Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev suffered a lower-body injury and will not return against the Rangers after being stretchered off the ice Wednesday in New York. Players from both teams left their benches and comforted him as the stretcher left the ice.

Sergachev skated toward Alexis Lafreniere midway through the second period, and the Rangers forward reverse-hit him. Sergachev’s leg bent as he fell to the ice, and he immediately let out a scream of pain. Officials blew the play dead, and Tampa Bay players quickly gathered around their teammate. He remained crumpled on the ice for multiple minutes. The play took place near photographers, whom Tampa Bay’s Erik Cernak tried to wave away with Sergachev down.

Sergachev was playing in his first game since sustaining a lower-body injury on Dec. 19 against St. Louis. He has 19 points in 33 games this season, and coach Jon Cooper stressed his importance to the Lightning in his pregame media availability. The 25-year-old was a part of Tampa Bay’s Stanley Cup wins in 2020 and 2021.

“He’s a good defenseman in this league,” the Tampa Bay coach said. “I can’t say enough about what he’s done for us in his short time in this league. He’s done a lot of winning and he’s been a big part of us winning. … There are a lot of teams that would be lined up to have a defenseman like him on their roster.”

Sergachev recorded 10:22 of total ice time before exiting.

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(Photo: Sergei Belski / USA Today)