Chris Pronger Injury: Pronger Out 2-3 Weeks After Taking Stick To Eye

He’s the quintessential face of ruggedness and toughness in the NHL, throwing elbows around like kids on Halloween are asking for them, absolutely demolishing opposing players as they approach his net and just generally playing the part as the league’s villain. Talks of Chris Pronger ever being scared of anything are met with laughter and more Chuck Norris-style jokes than you can handle.

The man has played in the NHL since 1993, and throughout the past 18 seasons, he’s not worn any sort of protection on his face. That’ll all change when he returns to the lineup in a few weeks.

The bad news? According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, the swelling around his eye is so bad that an eye specialist cannot yet take a look at the injury. More time will be required for a diagnosis.

The Flyers have yet to release an official statement on Pronger’s condition, other than the obvious news that he wouldn’t return to the Monday night game against the Leafs. General manager Paul Holmgren could give an update after the game, but as of yet we do not have an official confirmation of the injury.

Chris Pronger left Monday night’s game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs about midway through the first period after taking a stick to the face from Leafs forward Mikhail Grabovski.

There’s no word on Pronger’s condition as of the start of the second period, but he immediately ran off to the locker room holding his face. Blood could be seen running down his nose and the fear is that he was struck in the eye with the stick, although again, there’s been no official confirmation of anything and we’re just basing Pronger’s condition off of what was seen both live and via replay.