Rangers’ Joe Veleno leaves game against Mammoth

The New York Rangers took a blow to their lineup on Sunday night against the Utah Mammoth. 

In the first period at Madison Square Garden, Rangers center Joe Veleno left the game after sustaining a lower-body injury. Following the knock, Veleno did not return to the Rangers’ bench for the start of the second period. 

The newly acquired forward appeared to sustain the injury when he became tangled with Utah’s Clayton Keller along the boards. According to reports, Veleno did not bear any weight on his right leg as he was helped off the ice, and the Rangers confirmed he would not return later that evening. 

The 26-year-old joined the Rangers in the offseason on a one-year, $1.2 million contract for the 2026-27 season, opening a new chapter after spending last season with his hometown Montréal Canadiens. 

While he had yet to find the scoresheet in his first two games with the Rangers, he was beginning to develop into an important role on a team with limited center depth. Over three games, he averaged 14:45 of ice time but posted just one shot in the 5–1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 1. 

It wasn’t immediately clear what Veleno’s injury and timeline would be, but he hopes it doesn’t keep him out long, as all sides of his new deal hoped the Rangers situation could help him elevate from the two goals and three assists he scored in 61 regular-season games with Montréal last season. 

In his career, he has 40 goals and 46 assists for 86 points in 370 NHL games, with his best campaign coming in 2023-24, when he scored 12 goals and 16 assists for 28 points in 81 games with the Detroit Red Wings.

Following their clash with the Mammoth, the Rangers look ahead to their first subway series battle of the season, hosting the New York Islanders on Tuesday, before an away game on Thursday against the Washington Capitals.