Josh Morrissey injured in win over Colorado

The Winnipeg Jets picked up a win over the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night, but the victory may have come at a steep cost. Veteran defenseman Josh Morrissey was forced out of the contest after a painful sequence near the end of the opening frame, and suddenly the mood around the Jets' early-season surge has shifted from optimistic to anxious.

How the Injury Happened

With the first period winding down, Morrissey lined up Avalanche rookie forward T.J. Hughes for a body check. Hughes managed to dodge the hit at the last moment, and Morrissey went crashing hard into the boards instead. The 31-year-old was visibly in pain as he skated off, holding his right hand with his glove lying on the ice. He made it to the locker room for the intermission break, and there was a brief moment of hope when he returned to the ice to start the second period. That hope was short-lived, though, as Morrissey lasted just a single shift before heading back down the tunnel for good.

The Jets officially labeled it an upper-body injury, but reporting from Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press suggests the issue is likely related to Morrissey's right hand or arm. Head coach Scott Arniel told media after the game that he had no update on his top blueliner and that Morrissey would be re-evaluated. For now, the defenseman is being considered day-to-day heading into Friday's matchup against the Anaheim Ducks.

Prior to leaving the game, Morrissey had logged 9:32 of ice time across 11 shifts, recording one shot on goal and a blocked shot but no points on the night.

What Morrissey's Absence Would Mean for Winnipeg

It is hard to overstate how important Morrissey is to this team. The Calgary native is in his 11th full NHL season, all spent in Winnipeg, and he has been the backbone of their defense corps for years. Over 743 career regular-season games, he has racked up 94 goals and 337 assists for 431 points, and he has added another 20 points in 54 playoff appearances. Between 2022 and 2025, Morrissey was a consistent top-10 finisher in Norris Trophy voting, cementing his status as one of the league's premier defensemen.

This season, he had gotten off to a solid start with three assists in his first few games while averaging over 23 minutes of ice time per night. Last year, he appeared in 77 games and posted 55 points with a plus-six rating, so his production and minutes are essentially irreplaceable in the short term.

The timing is especially tricky for the Jets, who have been riding a surprisingly strong start to the 2026-27 campaign despite limited preseason expectations and some off-ice noise surrounding goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. Losing their number one defenseman for any significant stretch would put a real damper on what has been an encouraging opening to the year. Winnipeg will be hoping the day-to-day designation holds true and that Morrissey can return sooner rather than later, because filling that void on the blue line is a tall order for any team in the NHL.