The Augsburg Panthers will start the new season of the German Ice Hockey League (DEL) next month without top scorer Matt Puempel. The Canadian will be out for at least four months due to a knee injury. The club announced this on Tuesday.
Puempel (29) suffered a severe meniscus injury in the preparatory game against HK Olimpija Ljubljana (5:2) on Saturday. Contrary to initial fears, the cruciate ligaments were not damaged. “We will now treat Matt Puempel’s knee surgically and then hand him over to our physiotherapists for postoperative treatment and rehabilitation as soon as possible,” said knee specialist Jens-Ulrich Otto.
Puempel had 22 goals and 15 assists for Augsburg last season. In July, the striker extended his contract until 2023.