Montreal Canadiens defenseman Chris Wideman was ruled out indefinitely Thursday with a back injury.

Wideman, 33, is preparing for his seventh NHL season after recording six points (all assists) with 81 penalty minutes in 46 games for the Canadiens last season. In his first season, in Montreal in 2021-22, he had a career-best 27 points (four goals, 23 assists) in 64 games.