Nathan MacKinnon injury update: Is Avalanche star OK after puck to the face?
Nathan MacKinnon left Monday night's Game 4 against the Minnesota Wild after taking a puck off his face.
Colorado Avalanche fans are surely wondering about the health of Nathan MacKinnon after the star forward left the ice early on Monday. During the second period of Game 4 between the Avalanche and Minnesota Wild , MacKinnon took an errant puck to the face off the stick of teammate Devon Toews in Colorado's defensive zone. MacKinnon immediately went to the ice after taking the puck below his visor and was bleeding on the ice.
The forward was able to make his way off the ice and into the Avalanche dressing room, but didn't return before the second intermission. Here's how the moment played out on the ice as MacKinnon got clipped up high with Toews' attempted zone clear. Nathan MacKinnon was shaken up after taking a puck to the face.
pic. twitter. com/nYh0zL9zkd ā Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 12, 2026 Given that MacKinnon was able to get up under his own power and skate off does bode well for the Avalanche star.
And, as expected, MacKinnon did return to the ice for the start of the third period! Nathan MacKinnon is indeed back for the third period. ā Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) May 12, 2026 ESPN's broadcast then confirmed that MacKinnon got clipped in the nose by the puck.