Glasgow Clan forward Nolan LaPorte will miss the next six-to-eight weeks with an upper-body injury, the club has confirmed.
The 30-year-old sustained the injury in the first period of play during the Clan’s shootout loss to the Nottingham Panthers on Wednesday [19 October].
LaPorte has recorded 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in 13 appearances in all competitions this season, which places him second in points and first in goals on the team.
“Losing Nolan is a blow, considering how productive he is in the forward lines and that he is a player who can make a difference,” Clan head coach Malcolm Cameron said.
“It’s a latest setback for this team with injuries and it’s another piece of adversity we have to overcome in what has been a challenging campaign. It’s also a time when others have to step up when opportunity knocks, but we look forward to welcoming Nolan back when he has recovered.”
After starting the season with a run of 13 defeats in all competitions, the Clan are bottom of the Elite League and have been eliminated from the Challenge Cup.
Analysis: Nolan Laporte’s injury is a hammer blow for the Clan
The Clan’s situation was already dire – but LaPorte’s injury has somehow made it even worse.
The American is his team’s only player to find the net more than five times this season and has played a key role in driving offensive production at the Braehead Arena.
Before suffering his injury versus the Panthers, LaPorte recorded two points in each of his previous three appearances and leads the Clan in shots on target by a significant margin.
As an alternate captain, the Chicago-born winger is also an important on-ice leader for Glasgow. He arrived in the Elite League with an impressive record in the ECHL and NCAA, including a one-year stint as Western Michigan University’s captain.
The Clan will sorely miss LaPorte’s leadership qualities and scoring touch. Glasgow’s season just took another turn for the worse.
