PHILADELPHIA — Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev was stretchered off the ice after colliding with Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov midway through the third period of Saturday night’s game at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The injury happened with 11:37 to go in regulation and the Maple Leafs leading 4-1. As Michkov was gliding to his left near the Flyers’ offensive zone blue line and Tanev was backing up, their heads came together. Tanev immediately dropped to the ice and was motionless for a bit before medical personnel quickly wheeled out a stretcher. With his head secured in an orange brace, Tanev flashed a brief thumbs-up as he was carried off the ice.
Chris Tanev is receiving medical attention on the ice after this play pic.twitter.com/nNiMM4BHzm
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 2, 2025
The head-to-head contact looked to be accidental, and Michkov was given a two-minute minor for interference on the play.
The injury-prone tag that trailed Tanev during his time with the Vancouver Canucks disappeared in recent years.
Tanev has, kind of quietly, remained mostly healthy in his 30s.
He played in all 56 games during the truncated 2020-21 season and all 82 games the season after that. He suited up in 75 games in each of the previous two seasons, including his impressive debut campaign with the Leafs.
Saturday was Tanev’s first game back, however, from a concussion he suffered Oct. 21 versus the New Jersey Devils. He missed four games with the injury, which came from a bump from Devils forward Dawson Mercer.
It wasn’t the first concussion for Tanev, which makes the incident in Philadelphia all the more scary. That would be two concussions, potentially, in less than two weeks for someone who has become very important to and respected by the Leafs.
After the game, Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube indicated that Tanev was showing some positive signs. He was taken to a local hospital.
“He’s just getting some more tests done now,” Berube said. “He’s moving, and I think he’ll be all right, but he’s getting some tests done right now, so we’ll know more in a little while.”
The Flyers also reacted to the sequence of events.
“Just an unfortunate play,” defenseman Travis Sanheim said. “You hope that he’s OK. You feel bad for (Michkov), too. He’s obviously upset about the hit and going through that and experiencing (it) from his shoes as well, so overall, just something you don’t want to see.”
Said Flyers coach Rick Tocchet: “I think it’s an unfortunate play. (Tanev is) a warrior, so I hope he’s OK. … I don’t think it was foul play. It was just interference.”
The Flyers did not make Michkov available to comment, despite a request.