Breaking: Star defenseman out for the remainder of the season with knee injury!

We all know the Boston Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks have been ravaged by injuries lately, however, no team had to make the heartbreaking message that they would lose the services of a star player - until today. 

The breaking news report comes straight from the desert where the Arizona Coyotes have suffered a major blow as the team announced that defenseman Jason Demers will be out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury. The report was first made public by 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s John Gambadoro.

Demers was skating in front of the Coyotes’ net when he and Preds forward Kyle Turris made contact. Demers fell down and slid toward his own net and collapsed when he tried to get up. He stayed on the ground for several minutes and needed help getting off the ice. 

The injury is the latest in a line of injuries for Coyotes defensemen in last night's contest against the Nashville Predators. The blue line is Arizona has been ravaged by injuries: Thursday was only the Coyotes’ second game since Jakob Chychrun returned from injury on Tuesday in Detroit, but he was out again with an upper-body injury. While head coach Rick Tocchet said Chychrun is day-to-day and his injury is not serious, fellow defender Alex Goligoski is also day-to-day and has not played since Nov. 8 at Philadelphia.

Demers has been in the NHL for more than 10 years now and has played fewer than 50 games in a season only one time before. He is in his second year with Arizona and scored his first goal of the season Thursday.

Last year, Demers averaged 21:08 of ice time and had six goals and14 assists.

In his absence, the Coyotes have had to recall defensemen Dakota Mermis and Robbie Russo from the Tucson Roadrunners. 

What a tough blow...