During Saturday’s game at Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle Kraken’s Jaden Schwartz suffered a serious skate injury to his face after an unexpected collision. The injury occurred when Ottawa Senators‘ Nick Cousins was hit hard by Eeli Tolvanen, causing Cousins’ skate to lift and strike Schwartz’s face, resulting in visible bleeding. Despite the severity, Schwartz was able to leave the ice under his own power and head back to the locker room for evaluation.
The incident unfolded quickly as the Senators controlled the puck and pace, but the frightening moment came with the skate to Schwartz’s face.
“Wow. Scary one there. Eeli Tolvanen laid a huge hit on Nick Cousins, and Cousins’ skate came up and clipped Jaden Schwartz in the face. Schwartz was down for a while, bleeding on the ice, but he went down the tunnel on his own power,”
tweeted @sound_hockey on March 8, 2026.
Game Progress Before and After Schwartz’s Injury
Before the injury occurred, the Seattle Kraken struck first with a goal by Jacob Melanson at 8:45 in the first period. However, Ottawa quickly responded with Tyler Kleven tying the game at 9:19 remaining in the first. Dylan Cozens then gave Ottawa the lead and Shane Pinto added a third goal late in the second to take a 3-1 advantage into the final period.
Schwartz had been on ice for 6 minutes and 27 seconds before the injury took place, while Chandler Stephenson led Seattle’s players with close to nine minutes of playtime at that point. The game reflected the ongoing battle between two competitive teams, with Seattle holding a 29-23-9 record in the Pacific Division and Ottawa coming in at 30-22-9 in the Atlantic Division standings.
Implications and Outlook Following Schwartz’s Injury
The injury to Jaden Schwartz adds to the Seattle Kraken’s challenges, given his past absence for six weeks due to an upper-body injury in 2023. The nature of this new injury—caused by a skate to the face—raises concerns about his near-term availability and the team’s depth moving forward. How the Kraken will adjust their lineup remains to be seen as medical updates become available. This incident highlights the unpredictable and physical nature of NHL contests, underscoring the risks players face and the resilience required to return to play.
Wow. Scary one there.
Eeli Tolvanen laid a huge hit on Nick Cousins, and Cousins' skate came up and clipped Jaden Schwartz in the face.
Schwartz was down for a while, bleeding on the ice, but he went down the tunnel on his own power. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/QyeBYgi5eN
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) March 8, 2026
