David Alter Fri, October 23, 2026 at 11:05 AM UTC · 3 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the New York Rangers 5-4 on Thursday to extend their winning streak to three games. But before the game took place, they got some bad news when it comes to Marshall Rifai.
The defenseman is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury , the club announced following the game.
Maple Leafs coach Jim Hiller revealed that Rifai was hurt in the game where he scored his first NHL goal in a 6-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
"He thought he was fine, but it turns out he's not."
Rifai took part in the club's morning skate but left the ice twice, once before the session got underway and again seven minutes into the club's full morning skate on Thursday.
The Hockey News spoke to Rifai when he was first called up and took part in practice in Utah earlier this month .
He has had to be patient before, like last season, when he sustained a wrist injury during training camp and missed out on chances to be called up to the Maple Leafs.
He described his process for keeping positive.
"As I get older and once you get more reps at it, you can only control your effort, your attitude and how you are in the room, and when your opportunity comes, you gotta be ready," Rifai said. "Being healthy too, that's a big thing this year. Happy to be healthy."
It's a tough break for Rifai who will have to practice staying positive while being unavailable yet again with another injury.
Adding to the defensive health woes is Nick Blankenburg leaving in the third period against the Rangers after getting hit along the boards by Will Cuylle. There was no immediate update on the defenseman's status.
The Leafs announced that Rifai will go on injured reserve and that opens up a roster spot. While not official, Dakota Mermis ' stall was set up with his gear in the locker room when the doors opened for Thursday's postgame, suggesting he will be called up as a reinforcement, or possible option for the upcoming four-game road trip that begins Saturday in Edmonton and wraps up a week later in Vancouver.
Mermis has one assist in seven games with the Marlies this season. In the last two seasons, the 32-year-old Mermis has played a total of 14 games with the Leafs , where he scored one goal and registered an average ice time of 13:49.
See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free . Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here . And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Source: Sport
0 Comments