Jets C Barron returns to G1 after 75-plus stitches

LAS VEGAS — Winnipeg Jets forward Morgan Barron took a skate to his face Tuesday night, requiring more than 75 stitches, but he returned to the ice less than a period later.

Barron was injured in the first period during a big scramble in front of the Vegas Golden Knights‘ net in Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series. As players collapsed around the front of the net in pursuit of a loose puck, Vegas goalie Laurent Brossoit‘s skate cut Barron.

“I was trying to figure out if the puck went in because it was pretty close,” Barron said. “I saw the skate coming. It was an unlucky play. The first thought was that I could see out of the [right] eye was the main thing.”

Barron, 24, immediately went to the Jets’ locker room, but returned in the second period wearing a full cage on his head. He finished the game with 10: 44 time on the ice across 16 shifts, adding three shots on net along the way in Winnipeg’s 5-1 victory.

“Looks like he got attacked by a shark,” center Adam Lowry said. “It’s a scary thing. We’re all so worried about the puck crossing the line, and all of the sudden we see a trail of blood all the way from the crease to the bench.”

Jets coach Rick Bowness said he wasn’t surprised Barron re-entered the game and even marveled that he didn’t hesitate to get physical.

“I think more his presence coming back because we all realized how bad it was, and that gave everyone a big boost,” Bowness said.

Barron, a center who traditionally plays on Winnipeg’s third and fourth lines, played in 70 games this season. He had eight goals and 27 points while averaging 12: 21 time on the ice.

The No. 174th overall selection in the 2017 NHL draft, Barron began his career in the New York Rangers organization.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.