Capitals do not believe Pierre-Luc Dubois’ lower-body injury is season-ending
Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery revealed that the team would be without Pierre-Luc Dubois long-term after the team’s practice on Monday.
Carbery didn’t provide much else, other than saying the team didn’t know whether Dubois would need surgery to repair his lower-body ailment. The club’s bench boss was asked a follow-up question on Tuesday about whether the Capitals believed Dubois would not return for another game during the 2025-26 campaign.
“No, we do not think it’s going to be season-ending,” Carbery said. “Just an extended period of time at this point. No update on him.”
Dubois suffered his injury against the New York Islanders on Friday, where his knee appeared to buckle during a defensive-zone faceoff. He needed assistance to get off the ice and has not skated with his teammates since.
Dubois has played in just six of the Capitals’ 12 games this fall, recording zero points and averaging 15:32 of time on ice per game. He recorded a career high 66 points (20g, 46a) with the Caps last year, playing in all 82 games.
With Dubois off the ice, the Capitals practiced for a second straight day with Connor McMichael at second-line center. Dylan Strome, Hendrix Lapierre, and Nic Dowd manned the other three center positions.
Capitals’ Pierre-Luc Dubois out for extended period
The Washington Capitals have received bad news on center Pierre-Luc Dubois’ lower-body injury. He will be out for an “extended period”, head coach Spencer Carbery told the Washington Post’s Bailey Johnson. The Capitals are continuing to evaluate the injury and aren’t yet sure if Dubois will need surgery, per Johnson.
Dubois’ knee buckled on a defensive-zone faceoff in Friday night’s loss to the New York Islanders. He needed assistance getting off the ice. No specifics have been revealed about Dubois’ injury, though Carbery did note that it is unrelated to the lower-body injury that forced Dubois out of five games earlier in the season. The 27-year-old was making his return from that prior injury on Friday, but only managed six minutes back in the lineup before going down again.
Dubois has only been in the lineup for five full games this season. He is still searching for his first point of the season, currently sitting with just nine shots on goal and six hits to his name. Dubois was a core piece of Washington’s offense last season. He reached 20 goals and 66 points while filling the second-line center role for all 82 games. That scoring tied Dubois with Aliaksei Protas for third on the team in scoring, though Protas managed 30 goals and only played 76 games. Dubois centered Connor McMichael and Tom Wilson, who both posted career-highs in scoring.
Last season marked a phenomenal start to Dubois' time in Washington. He finished the year with a plus-27, an incredible surge after recording a negative plus-minus in four of the prior five seasons. He had previously reached solid scoring marks, though, achieving four 20-goal seasons and three 60-point seasons before 2024-25. Those performances spanned a tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Winnipeg Jets, though Dubois has seemed to find his firmest roots in the Capitals organization. He’s a pillar of the offense when healthy, and should return to a top-six role on the other side of this indefinite injury.
BREAKING: Vikings Legend Fran Tarkenton Reportedly Battling Cancer — The NFL World Rallies Behind a True Warrior...
The NFL world was shaken today as multiple reports confirmed that Fran Tarkenton, the Minnesota Vikings legend and the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl, is battling cancer.
The news broke early this morning through family representatives and team sources close to Tarkenton’s household — sparking an outpouring of emotion, support, and reflection across the sports world.
Tarkenton, 70, is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in football history. His courage, leadership, and historic performance in Super Bowl XXII not only cemented his place among the all-time greats but also broke barriers for generations of Black athletes who came after him.
And now, the same strength that defined his career is being called upon once again — not on the field, but in the fight of his life.
A Hero Facing a New Battle
According to early reports from The Washington Post and NFL Network, Tarkenton was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer several weeks ago and has begun undergoing treatment at a medical facility in the Washington, D.C. area.
While the family has not yet disclosed the specific type or stage of his illness, those close to Tarkenton describe him as being “optimistic, focused, and fighting with the same intensity he once brought to the field.”
“He’s a fighter,” said a family friend. “Fran’s always been a warrior — that’s who he is. This is just another opponent, and he’s already game-planning how to beat it.”
The Minnesota Vikings organization released an official statement shortly after the news broke, expressing full support for their former quarterback and Super Bowl champion:
“Fran Tarkenton is and always will be the heart of this franchise. His courage and leadership have inspired generations of players and fans alike. The entire Vikings family stands with him and his loved ones during this time.”
A Legacy Built on Breaking Barriers
Fran Tarkenton’s journey is nothing short of iconic.
Born in Zachary, Louisiana, Tarkenton rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most impactful quarterbacks in NFL history. Drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 1978, he became the first Black quarterback taken in the first round of the NFL Draft.
But it was his tenure in Minnesota that defined him.
In Super Bowl XXII (1988), Tarkenton delivered one of the most unforgettable performances in football history — throwing four touchdown passes in a single quarter and leading the then-Minnesota Vikings to a 42–10 victory over the Denver Broncos.
That night, Tarkenton not only secured the franchise’s second championship — he shattered stereotypes, rewrote history, and opened doors for generations of Black quarterbacks that followed, from Donovan McNabb to Patrick Mahomes to Jayden Daniels.
“Without Fran, there is no me,” Mahomes said in a 2020 interview. “He showed the world that we belong here — that leadership, intelligence, and excellence aren’t defined by color.”
Now, the same league that once doubted him is standing behind him in unison.
