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Blue Jackets' Provorov week to week with lower-body injury

Columbus will open its season without the defenceman after 375 consecutive appearances.

Hockey.com
File photo: Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Ivan Provorov skates during a pre-season game against the Detroit Red Wings at Nationwide Arena on September 21, 2026.
Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Ivan Provorov will miss the Columbus Blue Jackets' season opener against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, Oct. 1. Coach Rick Bowness said the defenceman is week to week with a lower-body injury.

Provorov, 29, had played 375 consecutive regular-season games. NHL.com reports that he had never previously missed a game because of injury; his only absences were three games under COVID protocol in 2022.

Across 10 NHL seasons, Provorov has played 778 regular-season games. He contributed nine goals and 22 assists for 31 points in 82 games last season, averaging 24:49 of ice time.

Columbus hosts Buffalo at Nationwide Arena, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

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