Jets' Josh Morrissey leaves game with upper-body injury

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Jets' Josh Morrissey leaves game with upper-body injury

Originally posted on Daily Faceoff | By Tyler Kuehl | Last updated Oct 7, 2026 10:11 PM ET

Fans in Winnipeg are holding their breath after witnessing something concerning.

In the middle of a matchup with the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night, the Winnipeg Jets announced that defenseman Josh Morrissey wouldn’t return to the game after suffering an upper-body injury.

While the team didn’t specify what Morrissey in the contest against the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners, he seemed to have injured himself in the dying seconds of the first period. The 31-year-old went ot throw a hit on Avalanche rookie T.J. Hughes, with Hughes trying to avoid the hit at the last second. Morrissey went hard into the glass, and slowly skated away, favoring his right arm.

File that into the less than ideal category as Josh Morrissey was a bit sore after trying to make this hit and smoking the boards instead. https://t.co/ZHRscDvmLO

— Dave Minuk (@ICdave) October 8, 2026

There was optimism as the second period began, as Morrissey was back on the ice at the beginning of the frame. However, after a quick shift, No. 44 was back down the tunnel to the Jets’ locker room and didn’t return.

Morrissey didn’t score a point while logging 9:32 of ice time across 11 shifts prior to his exit, posting a shot on goal and a shot block.

The Calgary native has played in each of Winnipeg’s first four games of the 2026-27 season. After being held pointless in a season-opening loss to the Boston Bruins, Morrissey chipped in on the offensive end, posting three assists across victories over the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins. He has a plus/minus of -1 thus far, averaging 23:35 of ice time heading into Wednesday night.

While it’s too early to tell the severity of Morrissey’s injury, it’s safe to say the absence to their top defender would really put a damper on what has been an exceptional start for a Jets team that had limited expectations, especially with the off-ice drama involving goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.

This is Morrissey’s 11th full-time season in the NHL, and all have come in Winnipeg. In 743 regular-season games, he has scored 94 goals and 337 assists for 431 points, with another 20 points in 54 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

This article first appeared on Daily Faceoff and was syndicated with permission.

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