Late in the first period of the San Jose Sharks' game against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night, Sharks forward Igor Chernyshov blocked a shot off of his arm and was in clear pain as he skated off the ice. He struggled to even carry his stick following the blocked shot and after a moment on the bench, he went down the tunnel into the Sharks' dressing room.
During the first intermission, the Sharks announced that Chernyshov is considered doubtful to tonight's game due to an upper-body injury:
F Igor Chernyshov is doubtful to return to tonight's game
— San Jose Sharks PR (@SanJoseSharksPR) October 23, 2026
The 20-year-old forward is in the middle of what appears to be his first full season in the NHL, having played just 28 games with the Sharks last season. In his first ten games of the 2026-27 season, he has scored two goals and added a pair of assists. He's been moving around the lineup constantly, spending most of his time in the top-six, more recently alongside Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, but he also had a stint on the fourth-line as well.
If Chernyshov does not return to tonight's game, we'll likely get a more thorough update in the coming days as he is evaluated further by the Sharks medical staff.