Western Michigan sophomore forward Wade Allison left last Saturday’s game against St. Cloud State just minutes into the game, and did not return. On Friday, the school confirmed Allison’s injury will hold him out for the rest of the season:

Due to a lower body injury, Wade Allison will be out of for the remainder of the 2017-18 season. — WMU Hockey (@WMUHockey) January 19, 2018

Allison was a late-riser in the 2016 NHL Draft, when he was selected in the second round by the Philadelphia Flyers 52nd overall, and his stock has only gone up since.

Last year, we ranked Allison as the 17th-best NHL prospect in the NCAA. In his second campaign, he has developed into one of college hockey’s premier players. Allison posted a 15-15-30 scoring line in 25 games. He was leading the Broncos in scoring, and tied for sixth-nationally in points scored.

Leading the Broncos to a surprisingly successful season that currently has them at seventh overall in the Pairwise Rankings, Allison was considered extremely likely to be a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award this year.

The loss of Allison also comes amidst the Broncos losing Allison’s playmaking centerman Colt Conrad, who missed the second game of the St. Cloud State series, and could potentially miss more time, after receiving a check to the head.

The Broncos remain in decent position to earn a second consecutive at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament even without their top scorers. They likely need at least four wins in their final 12 regular season games to stay on the right side of the bubble heading into playoff action. But the loss of one of college hockey’s premier players doesn’t bode well for their long-term success this season.