Starting junior goaltender Brian Elliott is out for the next three to four weeks after injuring his left leg in practice Wednesday, according to Badgers head coach Mike Eaves.
Elliott has played a pivotal role in the top-ranked Badgers' 18-2-2 record, and was considered a leading candidate for the Hobey Baker award for the nation's top goaltender.
Halfway through practice on Wednesday, Elliott was injured when a teammate crashed into him during a routine drill while tending the net. Elliott was later helped off the ice and into the team's training room.
'It didn't look good when a guy can't go off the ice on his own,' Eaves told The Capital Times Wednesday.
The injury comes during a crucial stretch of the season, as the Badgers play host to Denver and Minnesota the next two weekends and then play at Minnesota-Duluth on Feb. 3 to Feb. 4.
'We knew we were going to hit some storms in this journey, and we've hit a storm, with Elliott out,' Eaves told The Capital Times.
UW has an eight-point lead over Denver and Minnesota in the race for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's regular-season title.
It appears likely freshman Shane Connelly, who allowed five goals on 24 shots in UW's exibition win over U.S. National Under-18 Team on Dec. 16, will replace Elliott in goal this weekend.
