Brayden McNabb built his career on blocking shots. Tonight, one such shot blocked him. An 87-mph puck doesn’t negotiate, even if it’s the Stanley Cup Final on the line, or that the man in its path is the most prolific shot-blocker in Golden Knights history. In Carolina, McNabb’s shot-blocking came at a cost, as Vegas fans now wait to see exactly how steep the price is after.

That’s after McNabb was forced out of Game 2 in the first period after taking a puck to the face. Halfway through the first period, disaster struck as a vicious, 87 mph slap shot from Hurricanes forward Nikolaj Ehlers struck the defenseman. It caught him flush in his face, and play immediately stopped with players from both teams alerting the referee.

McNabb then exited the ice with 9:08 to go in the opening period and didn’t return. It left his side down a defenseman, but they managed to rally, entering the third period with a 2-0 lead. But the Golden Knights unraveled in the third, surrendering four unanswered goals. Reuters reported that the team has taken the 35-year-old to a hospital for observation.

There has been no official update about the injury from either coach John Tortorella or the team. However, forward Brett Howden touched on the incident after the game and hoped that everything was all right.

“Yeah, it does in the sense that we don’t have him out there and we’re obviously worried about him, but we were battling for him,” Howden said as per NHL.com. “I thought the five (remaining defensemen) did a great job. Like I said, just terrible to see something like that happen to one of your good buddies. Just hope he’s OK.”

McNabb’s injury history is long: concussions, leg injuries, broken collarbone in 2016. But a puck to the face is new. In his debut NHL season, the American missed eight games after suffering a concussion. Then a leg injury put a bump in his sophomore season before suffering a broken collarbone in 2016.

That saw him miss over two months of action in what was his final season with the Los Angeles Kings. McNabb signed for the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017 and then missed three games due to an undisclosed injury. Since then, he has more or less remained fully fit and played a key role in their 2023 Stanley Cup final win over the Florida Panthers.

Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara suffered a broken jaw after taking a puck to the face in Game 4 of the Final in 2019. He missed only one period and returned for Game 5, wearing a full face shield.

The loss of the 35-year-old McNabb will be a big one, especially given his presence. That was something that Golden Knights’ defenseman Noah Hanifin and captain Mark Stone echoed in their post-game interviews.

Mark Stone and Noah Hanifin reflect on Brayden McNabb’s injury

The now 35-year-old has spent the better part of the last decade with the team, winning the 2023 Stanley Cup. McNabb entered the 2026 playoffs as one of the NHL side’s best, having led the line with 142 blocked shots in 63 regular-season games.

His 1,417 blocked shots and 1,469 hits with Vegas are all-time highs for the team, making him an important figure. It’s likely why the Golden Knights felt his absence in the third period, dropping a 2-0 lead to lose Game 2 4-3 in overtime. What makes it even worse is that the video of the incident suggests McNabb might miss Game 3.

With the seven-game series now level at 1-1, that does make things interesting, and it’s something that captain Mark Stone touched on.

“Yeah, they played hard,” Stone said as per NHL.com. “Obviously, you lose a guy like ‘Nabber’ who logs heavy minutes, such a good teammate, plays the game so hard. It’s tough, but they played a good game. They battled as hard as they could.”

He wasn’t the only one. After McNabb stepped off the ice, the Golden Knights’ remaining five defensemen picked up the slack. This group especially included Shea Theodore, Rasmus Andersson, and Noah Hanifin; however, they keenly felt “Nabber’s” absence. It was something Hanifin attested to in his post-game interview.

“Any time you see that happen to a teammate, especially to a guy like ‘Nabber’ who is a huge part of this team, a leader, it’s tough,” Hanifin added. “It’s hard to see that happen to any guy on the ice. We’re just hoping for the best for him.” 

For now, the Golden Knights are left waiting for updates on one of the most important players in franchise history. Now with the Stanley Cup Final tied, McNabb’s condition may prove just as significant to Vegas’ chances as anything that happens on the ice in Game 3.