Sens defensive prospect Harris Pangretitsch, a 2026 draft pick, will need shoulder surgery and miss 4-5 months.
The Senators got some bad news about one of their defensive prospects.
Harris Pangretitsch, their fifth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, needs shoulder surgery and could miss four to five months, according to an article posted Friday on the Soo Greyhounds website.
Pangretitsch attended Senators' rookie camp and main training camp, and while he obviously didn't suit up, it gave the team's medical staff a chance to assess the injury and plan a road to recovery. Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis reported that the surgery will take place in Ottawa soon.
Pangretitsch injured his shoulder while attempting a hit along the boards during a Sept. 5 OHL preseason game against the Windsor Spitfires at GFL Memorial Gardens. He's been told that a four-month recovery might be optimistic, though he hopes to return before the playoffs.
At that stage of the season, he'll still only be 18. So, assuming all goes well, there’s plenty of time for him to develop, with at least another year in the OHL to look forward to.
At six-foot-five and 220 pounds, Pangretitsch certainly fits the profile of the big defencemen Steve Staios has favoured in his first few years as Senators GM.
Pangretitsch recorded two goals and 14 points in 67 games during his rookie OHL season, but his progress went well beyond that. The Greyhounds named him their most improved player as he emerged in the league as a top shutdown defender who uses his size and reach effectively. He was also the co-winner of the Hounds' Scholastic Player of the Year award.
Prior to joining the Greyhounds, he appeared in 34 regular-season games for Choate Rosemary Hall (USHS-Prep) in 2024-25, putting up 13 points.
While it's a disappointing situation for an 18-year-old hockey player, no matter what level he's playing at, Pangretitsch is doing his best to take it all in stride.
“It’s not great, obviously," Pangretitsch told the Greyhounds website. "This isn’t easy. But I have to look at the bright side of things. Everybody’s hurt at the end of the season, and I’m hoping I can come in fresh and give the (OHL) team a boost. For me, it’ll be the start of the season.”
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
