Red Wings Tyler Motte exits game with upper-body injury
Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Motte exited Tuesday’s game versus the San Jose Sharks with an upper-body injury.
The incident occurred late in the second period when Motte appeared to lose an edge and crashed into the boards behind Sharks goaltender Alexander Georgiev.
Motte logged 7:50 minutes of ice time and 10 shifts before exiting the game. San Jose won 6-3.
UPDATE: Tyler Motte (upper-body injury) will not return to tonight's game.
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 15, 2025Motte has had a quiet year, racking up four points in 27 games so far in the 2024-25 season.
This is Motte’s first season with the team from his home state. The 29-year-old signed a one-year contract with the Wings, with a cap hit of $800,000.
Motte has bounced around the league over the past few years. After spending parts of five years with the Vancouver Canucks, he has made two stops with the Rangers, also playing for the Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning. Motte was originally taken in the fourth round, 121st overall, by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2013 NHL Draft. He only played part of one season with the Blackhawks before he, along with Aretmi Panarin, was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2017 in the deal that saw Brandon Saad head back to Chicago.
In 427 NHL games, Motte has scored 49 goals and 41 assists for 94 points. He’s also notched eight points in 44 Stanley Cup Playoff appearances.
Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan should have an update on Motte’s status Wednesday or in the coming days. The Red Wings are slated to face the Florida Panthers on Thursday and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.