Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb suffered an injury during Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 4 and left immediately afterwards. He took an 87 mph slapshot from Canes forward Nikolaj Ehlers to his face, leaving the NHL fans concerned.

The puck clipped McNabb’s visor in the first period. He dropped to the ice in pain while holding his face. The 35-year-old managed to skate off the ice to get checked up by the Golden Knights' medical team.

Shortly after, the official Spittin' Chiclets X account gave the update on McNabb’s situation. This was before Game 2 had reached its conclusion. They noted that he had left the building to go to the local hospital for further evaluation.

While the current status of McNabb is unknown, he has proved to be a big miss for the Golden Knights on the ice already. McNabb played 63 games for the Knights in the 2025-26 regular season, scoring five goals along with seven assists, to bag a total of 12 points.

Moreover, McNabb’s consistency in defence for his team is undeniable, and he has contributed seven points (1G / 6A) in 16 playoff appearances this year.

During Game 2, the Golden Knights were leading 2-0 going into the third period before conceding three goals in his absence to find themselves 3-2 down.

Vegas managed to level the score line with just 1:21 left on the clock through their captain, Mark Stone, before ending regulation time 3-3. But in overtime, Seth Jarvis made it 4-3 for the Hurricanes with a game-winning goal at 3:56, to level the Stanley Cup Final 1-1.

Regardless of the loss, Golden Knights fans were left wondering about McNabb's injury.

Fans Left Praying for Brayden McNabb After his Injury

Most of the NHL fans were left praying for Brayden McNabb’s health in the immediate aftermath of his injury. The comments section of Spittin' Chiclets’ post on X was filled with words of strength for McNabb.

“Not good...I've taken one like that and thought I d***. This dude got up and would have skated to the hospital. Get well soon Nabber,” wrote a fan while sharing a similar experience of their own.

A couple of supporters didn’t mince their words in their attempt to narrate McNabb’s pain due to his supposed broken nose.

“The underside of his nose is split right across. F****** OUCH,” one of them said.

“Holy s***. Hes tuff man. Deff looks like a bad cut and a broken nose prayers up for Knabber,” the other supporter wrote.

Fans also had deep sympathy for the Golden Knights defenseman after he sustained such a terrible blow to his face.

“Oh no. Poor Nabber. That looks unbelievably painful,” remarked a fan.

“Praying he’s alright. That hit was nasty,” said another one.

Do you think Brayden McNabb will take any part in the remainder of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Arjun Sharma

Edited by

Surjo Ray