Defenceman Colin Miller Sidelined with Fractured Larynx

Winnipeg Jets defenceman Colin Miller will be out of the lineup for at least two weeks.

On Tuesday, Jets head coach Scott Arniel spoke of the severity of the injury that removed his 32-year-old rearguard from the game on Saturday.

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“Dangerous situation, but he’s doing a lot better," Arniel shared. "He can’t get hit again, obviously. He’s actually on a bike. He’s around the guys. Talks a little quieter. But he’s upbeat. It’s precaution now. He can’t go out and something happens, somebody runs into him… so, it has to heal.”

Miller, who took a puck directly to the larynx, will miss two weeks, the bench boss said matter-of-factly. He was admitted to hospital for x-rays, but the tests came back better than some initially hoped, showing just the fracture - which will take a few weeks to fully heal.

This injury may sound familiar, as one of Winnipeg's opponents, Alec Martinez of the Chicago Blackhawks suffered a similar injury after Adam Lowry's shot deflected into his throat last month. Martinez has been on Chicago's injured reserve with what the club is calling a 'neck injury'.

“You never want to see anybody leave the game like that," defenceman Dylan Coghlan said, who has taken over the role left behind by Miller. “You just never want to see that. We were worried about him.”

In 34 games with Winnipeg this season, Miller has scored twice and added another six assists. The former 2012 fifth round pick is in the first season of a two-year, $3 million contract signed this past offseason. He has 41 goals and 174 points over 546 career games with Boston, Vegas, Buffalo, Dallas, New Jersey and Winnipeg.