LOS ANGELES — Kings defenseman Alec Martinez is expected to make a full recovery after undergoing surgery to repair a cut on his right wrist.
Martinez had the radial artery and two superficial radial nerves repaired after they were cut by a skate in the third period of the Kings’ 4-3 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Monday night, the team said in a statement.
The 32-year-old defenseman made a headfirst dive to bat away a loose puck and was cut just above the glove by the skate of Melker Karlsson when the Sharks forward lost his balance. Martinez was taken after the game to Keck Medical Center, where the surgery was performed.
He will be evaluated weekly, but the team doesn’t know yet when he may return.
Martinez has five assists in 24 games this season. He has 61 goals and 134 assists in 580 games over 11 NHL seasons. He became a fan favorite after scoring in overtime of Game 7 of the 2014 Western Conference finals against the Chicago Blackhawks and in Game 5 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final against the New York Rangers to win the Kings’ second title in three seasons.