Kyle Connor Suffers Knee Injury After Illegal Hit From Ryan Strome

The Winnipeg Jets are holding their breath as they await the news on a brutal-looking knee injury suffered Sunday night when leading scorer Kyle Connor was slammed knee on knee with an illegal hit from the Anaheim Ducks' Ryan Strome.

Ryan Strome gets ejected from the game after this knee on knee on Kyle Connor pic.twitter.com/K7msnrvkRj

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) December 11, 2023

Strome was assessed a five-minute major for kneeing and a game misconduct. Connor's teammate Mark Scheifele immediately dropped the gloves and took Strome to task after the play. Connor lay grimacing in pain on the ice. The possibility of a long-term injury "is real", reports Murat Ates of The Athletic.

The Winnipeg Free Press is reporting that there will be no suspension hearing for Strome.

Needless to say, Jets head coach Rick Bowness was an unhappy camper: 

Rick Bowness on Ryan Strome's hit:

"He sticks his knee out. You hope that’s suspendable ... There’s no other way of looking at it. You hope it’s suspendable. But the referees made the right call. Five-minute major and a game misconduct and we’ll see where it goes from there."

— Murat Ates (@WPGMurat) December 11, 2023

"He sticks his knee out. You hope that’s suspendable ... There’s no other way of looking at it. You hope it’s suspendable. But the referees made the right call. Five-minute major and a game misconduct and we’ll see where it goes from there." 

Connor is leading the Jets in goals for the 3rd straight season, thus far with 17 goals and 28 points in 25 games in 20:40 minutes of ice time a night. He popped 31 goals last year and a career-high 47 the season before. 

He will leave a huge offensive void for the Jets if he has to miss any time.