21-Year Old NHL Goaltender Suffers Injury After Taking a Skate to The Head

The Belleville Senators took on the Cleveland Monsters this past Monday, resulting in a brutal hit endured by Ottawa Senators prospect, Leevi Meriläinen.

Unfortunately, the Ottawa Senators injury streak seems to continue, but this time, their goaltending depth has taken a hit.

Leevi Meriläinen was forced to leave this Monday's game from suffering what appeared to be a head injury.

The incident occurred late in the first period when Cleveland Monsters forward, Jake Gaudet, crashed the net, lost his balance, and seemingly made accidental contact with Meriläinen's head.

The 21-year-old goaltender immediately showed signs of an injury before being assisted off the ice, leaving Malcolm Subban to step in as Meriläinen's replacement.

A significant injury to Meriläinen would be another devastating injury for the Senators, as they are already dealing with injuries to their key players such as Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, and Shane Pinto, who are at the NHL level.

The team has yet to release an official statement on Leevi Meriläinen, but The Athletic's Julian McKenzie did report that he remained with the team following the game, which was determined as a positive sign for his status.

Despite his professional status, Leevi Meriläinen has made 12 NHL appearances through the duration of the 2024-25 season, with a whopping 8-3 record, with a .925 save percentage and 1.99 goals-against average.

Losing him for any length of time would further test the Ottawa Senators' depth as they continue to battle through an already injury-riddled season.