Hurricanes defenceman Dougie Hamilton out long term with broken left fibula

The Carolina Hurricanes have been dealt a major blow to their defensive core.

The team announced that veteran defenceman Dougie Hamilton will miss an extended period of time after breaking his left fibula during their 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.

Hamilton sustained the injury when he fell awkwardly into the boards after fighting for the puck with forward Kevin Stenlund with 16 seconds left in the second period.

The 26-year old has recorded 14 goals and 26 assists in 46 games this season. There is no timetable for his return.

As a result, his spot at the 2020 All-Star Game with the Metropolitan team has been filled by teammate Jaccob Slavin.