The New York Rangers will be without their best defenseman for a decent chunk of time, as Adam Fox will be out of the lineup on a week-to-week basis due to an upper-body injury, according to ESPN reporter Emily Kaplan.
Early word on Adam Fox’s upper body injury is week-to-week, not longer term. Should not affect his Olympic availability.
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) November 30, 2025
Fox sustained the injury midway through the third period of the Rangers’ 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. He was making a play for an airborne puck with his hand behind the net when Lightning winger Brandon Hagel hit Fox into the boards, causing Fox’s arm to be awkwardly crushed between his body and the boards in the process.
Fox did not return to the game, although it was too late in the game to necessitate an official announcement for his departure by the Rangers. He finished the game with the primary assist on the Rangers’ lone goal in the game, as well as a shot and a takeaway in 16:27 of ice time.
According to The Athletic reporter Vince Z. Mercogliano, the Rangers will also be placing Fox on long-term injured reserve as a result of the injury for both roster and cap relief. With league rules permitting players on LTIR to be on their for a minimum of 10 games and 24 days, the earliest Fox can return to the lineup is December 23rd in a game against the Washington Capitals, meaning he’ll miss at least 11 games.
Fox’s timeline for return shouldn’t affect his availability for Team USA at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy in February. However, it may affect whether or not he is named to the roster, as according to Daily Faceoff’s Anthony DiMarco, he was already in danger of losing his spot.
Scott Morrow and Urho Vaakanainen were both healthy scratches for the Rangers on Saturday, so one of those two defensemen will likely replace Fox in the lineup.
Fox was having a bounce-back season before the injury, as he had three goals and 23 assists for 26 points in 27 games with the Rangers.
The Rangers will look to stay afloat without Fox when they host the Dallas Stars on Tuesday at 7 p.m. EST. New York currently sits in seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a 13-12-2 record, but are just one point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
