The Florida Panthers broke news with more than just a first look at their Winter Classic uniforms. They also added to the eternal list of strange sports injuries.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice told reporters Nov. 19 that center Eetu Luostarinen was week-to-week with burns. The 27-year-old was injured at what Maurice called “a barbecue accident,” adding that the burns did not require an overnight hospital stay.
It’s not the only injury the Panthers are dealing with as they seek their third straight Stanley Cup championship. Maurice also said Wednesday that forward Cole Schwindt would be out two to three months with a broken arm. Florida is also playing without captain Aleksander Barkov, expected to miss the rest of the season after knee surgery in September, and star forward Matthew Tkachuk, who had surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia.
Luostarinen missed the Panthers’ game Nov. 17 against Vancouver with what was classified as a lower-body injury. The Finnish forward has 10 points this season on three goals and seven assists in 18 games, and he was a key piece to their title run last year, scoring five goals with 14 assists in the playoffs.
Eetu Luostarinen adds to list of weird sports injuries
Luostarinen’s barbecue burns brings to mind another recent injury with a South Florida connection. On Oct. 1, 2023, Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku showed up to a game with a mask over his face to conceal the extent of the burns he suffered while trying to light a fire pit at his house. The former Miami Hurricane played the game with serious burns to his face and arms, making sure to keep them covered throughout the game.
Sports is rife with similar bizarre injuries. Dustin Penner of the Los Angeles Kings missed a game in 2012 by eating a stack of pancakes. In 2003, Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio brought an axe into the locker room as a motivational tool. It was unceremoniously removed after it wound up in the leg of punter Chris Hanson. And of course, there was kicker Bill Gramatica’s infamous celebration in 2001 that caused him to tear his ACL.
Baseball especially is jam-packed with strange injuries. Pitcher Trevor Bauer, who would win the Cy Young Award in 2020, sliced his finger open in 2016 while fixing a drone. Slugger Sammy Sosa, he of the famous home run chase of 1998, strained his back by sneezing in 2004. And who can forget when Kendrys Morales celebrated a walk-off grand slam in 2010 by jumping onto home plate … and breaking his leg.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida Panthers player injured in barbecue accident, coach says
Reporting by Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
