Adam Nemec suffers upper-body injury in Senators pre-season finale

Ottawa Senators prospect Adam Nemec left the team’s final game of the pre-season with an upper-body injury against the Montreal Canadiens. The 18-year-old forward was hurt in the first period and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest shortly after.

Hit from Florian Xhekaj leads to early exit

The injury occurred in the Senators’ zone when Nemec was checked along the boards by Canadiens forward Florian Xhekaj. Nemec remained down on the ice for a stretch and was slow to get back to his feet before heading off. He did not take another shift after the collision as the team announced he would not return because of an upper-body issue.

On the play, Xhekaj was assessed a two-minute minor penalty for interference. Ottawa capitalized on the ensuing power play to record the first goal of the game. No further update on the severity of Nemec’s injury or a projected recovery timeline had been provided at the time of the game report.

Key Senators prospect bound for Sudbury

Nemec is an important part of the Senators’ prospect pool after being selected in the third round of this June’s NHL Draft. He is expected to rejoin the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves for the upcoming season, returning to the program where he produced 14 goals and 35 points in 31 games last year.

The injury comes at the end of a camp in which Nemec was looking to make an impression on Ottawa’s staff before heading back to junior. His performance and health will be closely watched by both the Senators and the Wolves as he continues his development path.

Family ties to the Calgary Flames

Nemec also has a direct connection to the NHL through his older brother, Calgary Flames defenceman Simon Nemec. That family link adds extra attention to his progress within the Senators organization and in Sudbury. His status following the upper-body injury will be a point of interest as both clubs plan for the start of their seasons.