Salming Is Out After Surgery; Facial Cut Requires 200 Stitches

Toronto Maple Leaf defenseman Borje Salming will be out indefinitely after undergoing facial cosmetic surgery that involved more than 200 stitches to close a cut suffered Wednesday night against the Detroit Red Wings, the National Hockey League team said Thursday.

Salming was cut late in the game at Detroit, which Toronto won, 3-1, by Gerard Gallant’s skate blade when the Red Wing center was knocked over the prone veteran Toronto defenseman during a goalmouth scramble at the Leafs’ net.

The cut starts over Salming’s right eye. It just misses the corner of his eye and ends near the right corner of his mouth.

He had begun to wear a face guard earlier this season after suffering a broken bone beneath his left eye when hit accidently by a stick. But he had discarded the visor at the beginning of the week, saying it impaired his vision.

Seven years ago, Salming was struck in an eye during the playoffs against the New York Islanders.

Jerome Dupont is to take Salming’s place in the lineup, the Leafs said.