The Dallas Stars suffered a concerning injury to a key player during Friday night’s game against the Minnesota Wild. Forward Mason Marchment was forced to exit late in the first period after taking a puck to the face during a Stars power play.
The incident occurred when Marchment was positioning himself near the Minnesota crease. Stars forward Evgenii Dadonov took a shot from the point that was deflected by teammate Logan Stankoven. The redirected puck struck Marchment directly below his visor, causing him to immediately crumple to the ice in apparent pain.
As Marchment was helped to his feet by the Stars’ training staff, a puddle of blood was visible on the ice where he had fallen. Holding a towel to his face to control the bleeding, the 27-year-old winger was assisted down the tunnel to the Stars’ locker room for further evaluation and treatment.
Injury Comes Amid Breakout Season for Marchment
The Stars announced during the first intermission that Marchment would not return to the game due to the injury. The loss of Marchment is a significant one for Dallas, as he has emerged as one of their top offensive threats this season.
Through 36 games, Marchment ranks third on the Stars in goals with 12 and second in points with 27. He has found great chemistry on a line with young Stars forwards Wyatt Johnston and Ty Dellandrea.
“Marchy is a heart and soul guy for us. He plays hard every shift and always sacrifices his body for the team. Seeing him in pain like that is really tough. We’re going to miss his presence out there until he’s able to come back.”
– Stars captain Jamie Benn on Marchment’s injury
Second Facial Injury This Season for Marchment
Incredibly, this is the second time Marchment has exited a game this season after being hit in the face by an errant puck. During a game in Winnipeg on November 9th, he suffered a facial laceration that required stitches, but was able to return to that contest after getting patched up.
The gritty, hard-nosed Marchment has quickly become a fan favorite in Dallas for his willingness to pay the price in front of the net and in the dirty areas of the ice. But that same fearless style has now resulted in a pair of scary facial injuries just over a month apart.
The Stars and Marchment will hope this latest incident looked worse than it actually was. Dallas is already dealing with injuries to key forwards Roope Hintz and Denis Gurianov. Losing Marchment for any significant stretch would be a tough blow as they look to keep pace in the competitive Central Division.
Marchment Seeking to Build on Strong Debut
Acquired as a free agent this past offseason, Marchment has quickly proven to be an excellent addition for the Stars. The 6’4″ power forward is on pace to shatter his previous career-highs in goals, assists and points.
In his first game against his former Wild teammates back on November 16th, Marchment lit the lamp twice to lead Dallas to a 2-1 victory. The Stars are counting on more performances like that from him once he’s able to get back on the ice.
For now though, the team’s primary concern is the health of their valuable winger. More information on Marchment’s status should be forthcoming in the days ahead as he is further evaluated by the Stars’ medical staff. The team and its fans will be hoping for the best after this latest scare.
