Erik Cernak injury: What happened to Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman?

The Tampa Bay Lightning suffered a major setback to defenseman Erik Cernak in Thursday's matchup against the New Jersey Devils.

The 26-year-old sustained an upper-body injury, and the team later announced that he would not return to complete the contest.

"Update: Erik Cernak has suffered an upper-body injury and will not return to tonight’s game," Lightning wrote on X.

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Cernak had to be sidelined for three games in the opening week of January due to an upper-body injury. However, it is unknown as of now whether the defenseman's exit from Thursday's game was related to the same issue.

Before exiting the contest, Cernak clocked 7:58 minutes of ice time. If he misses Saturday's matchup against the Anaheim Ducks, Bolts fans could see the addition of Philippe Myers to the lineup.

This season, Cernak has played 38 games, recording five points through as many assists with a plus-minus of -3. Meanwhile, the game between the New Jersey Devils and Tampa Bay Lightning is tied at 3-3 with the third period in play.

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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Edited by Parag Jain