Avs' MacKinnon (bruised foot) to sit out ASG
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon will not play in Saturday's All-Star Game in San Jose, Calif., due to a bruised left foot.
It's unclear when he was hurt, but MacKinnon said he took a puck off the inside of his foot and had "a couple" of MRIs on Thursday. He played 18:39 in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild, around three minutes below his season average.
"It's not broken, it's just really sore," MacKinnon said, per NHL.com. "Swollen still, so I'm not going to force it this weekend."
Named the Central Division captain, MacKinnon sat out Friday night's skills competition, in which he was scheduled to compete in the Fastest Skater event. In his place, U.S. women's national team forward Kendall Coyne Schofield became the first female participant in a skills event, finishing seventh among eight skaters with a time of 14.346 seconds.
Edmonton's Connor McDavid (13.378) went on to win the event for the third straight year, as MacKinnon suspected he might.
"I get killed every year, so I'm happy I don't have to do it," MacKinnon, who lost a head-to-head heat to McDavid in 2017, said before the event. "Connor is so fast. He kills me every year."
MacKinnon said he still plans to enjoy All-Star weekend after arriving in San Jose on Friday. Linemates Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog are both full-speed ahead for Saturday's game.
MacKinnon, 23, was named to the All-Star Game for the third straight season. He ranks tied for fifth in the NHL with 71 points (27 goals, 44 assists).
--Field Level Media
