Even in a shortened NHL preseason, injuries and setbacks can arise. The New York Rangers learned that as both Adam Sykora and Vincent Iorio exited the preseason opener against the New Jersey Devils in discomfort. The schedule waits for no one, though, and Mike Sullivan made that clear as the team gears up for the final two games of the preseason.
Playing on the road at The Rock, the game was exactly the kind of outing where players like Sykora and Iorio, who are fighting for a starting-lineup job in New York, could showcase what they are capable of. That wasn’t the case, and it was quite the opposite.
In Sykora’s case, he left the game less than two minutes into the first period. The morning after the Rangers’ 3-2 loss to the Devils, Sullivan admitted the team doesn’t know the extent of either player’s injury yet. For the time being, they will be held out of on-ice activities as a precaution going into the NHL regular season.
“No injury updates for Adam Sykora or Vincent Iorio, who both left last night’s exhibition game vs. Devils with injuries. They’re still being evaluated and neither skated [Tuesday], per Mike Sullivan,” Mollie Walker of the New York Post reported on X.
Vincent Iorio before a game at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York.
What happened to Sykora and Iorio?
In his first shift of the night, Sykora battled for a puck near a corner in the offensive zone. Sykora didn’t keep his head on a swivel, and before he knew it, Devils defenseman Mikael Diotte landed a big shoulder check between Sykora’s chin and left shoulder.
However, the Rangers’ 22-year-old former second-round pick appeared to injure his right knee, which got tangled up against the boards. Sykora was slow to get back on his feet and needed to be helped off the ice by two teammates. Needless to say, it was a tough way to start—and end—his night.
As for Iorio, it remains unclear what exactly happened to him, but he’s reportedly dealing with a lower-body injury, too.
What’s next for Rangers?
The Rangers have two games left in preseason before the 2026-27 NHL regular season: Sept. 22 against the New York Islanders and Sept. 24 against the Devils, both at Madison Square Garden.
Key takeaways
- Rangers players Adam Sykora and Vincent Iorio exited the preseason opener due to injuries.
- Head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed both players were held out of Tuesday practice.
- New York plays preseason games at MSG on September 22 and September 24.
