Jones out ‘couple of weeks’ for Panthers, could return before Olympic break

Seth Jones will be out "a couple of weeks" for the Florida Panthers with an upper-body injury.

“We will list him as week to week,’’ coach Paul Maurice said of the defenseman. “We expect him to be back before the Olympic break. We’re hopeful for that.”

The Panthers have 16 games before NHL players head to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Florida’s last game before the break is Feb. 5 at the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Jones appeared to be struck near the left collarbone by a shot from New York Rangers forward Alexis Lafreniere that deflected up off the stick of Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola at 7:54 of the first period of the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic at loanDepot park in Miami on Friday. It was his 900th NHL game.

The 31-year-old has 24 points (six goals, 18 assists) in 40 games this season.

Jones was named to Team USA's Olympic roster Jan. 2. It will mark the first time since Sochi in 2014 that the NHL will send players to the Winter Games.

Explore NHL.com's Coverage of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026

Jones was one of four players named to the roster who did not play for the U.S. in the 4 Nations Face-Off last February, but his career has been rejuvenated since being traded to the Panthers by the Chicago Blackhawks on March 1.

“My name wasn’t on a lot of lists over the past year,” Jones said before the Winter Classic. “You look back a year ago and I probably didn’t deserve to be on a list; I wasn’t playing the greatest hockey in Chicago. I think the trade to Florida has given me new life.”

The 31-year-old was selected by Nashville Predators with the No. 4 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft. He has 465 points (105 goals, 360 assists) for the Predators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Blackhawks and Panthers. He’s in his first full season with Florida after helping the Panthers win their second straight Stanley Cup championship, getting nine points (four goals, five assists) and a plus-11 rating in 23 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Jones is the latest big-name player on the Panthers to miss time this season. Captain Aleksander Barkov (knee) is out for the regular season. Forward Matthew Tkachuk has not played all season after having surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia on Aug. 22. He said Sunday he could return during Florida's six-game road trip that begins at the Toronto Maple Leafs (7:30 p.m. ET; SNO, TNT, HBO MAX) on Tuesday.

Florida (22-16-3) is two points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference.