Steven Stamkos Leg Injury

Tampa Bay Lightning star center Steven Stamkos is out indefinitely after suffering a broken tibia in his right leg Monday against the Boston Bruins.The Lightning confirmed the injury on their official Twitter account, just hours after Stamkos was taken off the ice on a stretcher. Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman announced later Monday that the 23-year-old Stamkos, the NHL's co-leader in goals and points, will undergo surgery. The operation is expected to take place Tuesday. "The medical staff in Boston, in consultation with our team physicians, has made the decision to surgically repair the injury," Yzerman said in a team release. "The procedure is expected to take place tomorrow morning.Teammate Martin St. Louis didn't know how bad it was when the locker room opened after the game. "He's a big part of our team, but we don't know the severity of it, so we're going to wait and hear," he said. "Obviously he's a big part of our team." The team's leading scorer and one of the top players in the league, Stamkos was backchecking on a play late in the second period Monday when he got tied up with Boston defenseman Dougie Hamilton. The pair went into the net hard. Stamkos immediately grabbed his right leg and was rolling on the ice in pain.Stamkos immediately grabbed his right leg and was rolling on the ice in pain. "It's obviously tough to see him go down, not only for our team, he's one of the best players in the world," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. "People come out to cheer the Boston Bruins here, and they come to see Steven Stamkos play hockey. It's a loss for everybody." After a brief delay, a stretcher was brought out and he was taken off to loud applause. As he was carted off, he put both hands to his face in apparent pain.