Maple Leafs’ Chris Tanev leaves game against Devils with upper-body injury
The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on social media that defenseman Chris Tanev left Tuesday’s game against the New Jersey Devils with an upper-body injury and would not return.
Maple Leafs D Chris Tanev will not return to tonight’s game (upper body).
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) October 22, 2025
Tanev’s injury came early in the second period after making contact with Devils’ forward Dawson Mercer in front of the Maple Leafs’ net. He would require some assistance getting off the ice and head straight to the locker room. Tanev finished with a minus-one rating and 5:57 of ice time.
Chris Tanev is headed to the room after this collision. pic.twitter.com/wJeyuEMwAk
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 22, 2025
Through his first six games of the 2025-26 season, Tanev, 35, has one assist and a plus-four rating while averaging 19:39 of ice time. Now in his second season with the club, the blueliner was acquired by Toronto from the Dallas Stars at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, then signed a six-year, $27 million contract that will pay him an annual average value (AAV) of $4.5 million through the 2029-30 season.
Through 16 NHL seasons, Tanev, a native of Toronto, has 36 goals and 173 assists for 209 points, averaging 19:57 of ice time in 873 career regular-season games with the Maple Leafs, Stars, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.
Tanev, an undrafted free agent signed by the Canucks in 2010, has also played in 73 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, recording two goals and adding 14 assists for 16 points.
Internationally, Tanev represented Canada at the 2016 World Championships, helping them win gold.
Going into Tuesday night, the Maple Leafs were 3-2-1 with seven points through their first six games. William Nylander has 11 points (two goals and nine assists), while Auston Matthews leads the team in goals with four.