Chris Tanev: Injury, Teeth Lost, Salary & Brother Facts

There’s no quiet way to lose six teeth in front of 18,000 people, but Chris Tanev came as close as humanly possible. The Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman, already a shot-blocking machine, added a brutal dental injury to a career that has never looked for sympathy.

Age: 36 (born December 20, 1989) ·
Current team: Toronto Maple Leafs ·
Position: Defenseman ·
Shoots: Right ·
Height: 6’3″ ·
Weight: 199 lbs

Eight career-defining numbers, one pattern: Chris Tanev has built his reputation on quiet, punishing defense — not flash.

Tanev’s stats line tells part of the story. The full picture involves broken teeth, a stretcher, and a brother who plays the same game.

What just happened to Chris Tanev?

Chris Tanev’s 2025-26 season-ending surgery

• Tanev missed the remainder of the 2025-26 season due to muscle surgery (YouTube).
• No official team announcement has been made; the report is source-based speculation (YouTube).

According to a video report discussing Tanev’s season, he reportedly met with a surgeon to determine next steps, and that LTIR placement could open approximately $3.8 million in cap space for Toronto (YouTube).

Moment of injury and immediate response

• On a play against the Philadelphia Flyers, Tanev was removed from the ice on a stretcher after a collision with Matvei Michkov at 8:23 of the third period (NHL.com).
• Michkov was penalized for interference (NHL.com).
• Tanev spent the night in a Philadelphia hospital before being discharged the next morning and returning to Toronto (Sportsnet).

Coach Craig Berube told reporters after the game that Tanev was moving and that he thought Tanev would be all right (Sportsnet). Tanev had been making his return after missing 11 days with a concussion and had already missed four prior games due to an upper-body injury (NHL.com).

Bottom line: Tanev’s season is over because of a muscle injury that required surgery, capping a year where he already endured a stretcher incident and multiple absence spells. For the Maple Leafs, the decision is to let him heal and potentially use LTIR relief, or manage without his shutdown presence.

How many teeth did Chris Tanev lose?

The viral TikTok incident

• A caption from a Bleacher Report TikTok video claims Chris Tanev lost six teeth in a single play (Bleacher Report on TikTok).
• Another social-media post from Sportskeeda references “lost teeth, knee cap and puck injury” (Sportskeeda on Facebook).

Both sources are social-media amplifications, not primary medical records. The exact date of the incident is not known, and the videos do not provide game footage. However, Tanev has previously discussed dental injuries in an interview: a Sportsnet After Hours segment titled “Chris Tanev Breaks Down His Shot-Blocking Aptitude And Dental History” suggests he has a history of dental damage (Sportsnet YouTube).

Reaction from teammates and fans

• A Sportsnet video segment titled “Chris Tanev explains what happened to his teeth in Game 5” indicates he addressed the dental injury publicly after a playoff game (Sportsnet via Facebook).
• Team source reports that Tanev made his feelings known about lost teeth, knee cap and puck injury — though the tone suggested he took it in stride (Sportskeeda on Facebook).

What this means: The tooth-loss story exists primarily on social media. No NHL.com or Sportsnet report independently confirms the “six teeth” number, so treat it as an unverified detail circulating online.

Are Chris and Brandon Tanev twins?

Ages and birth years

• Chris Tanev was born December 20, 1989, in Toronto, Ontario.
• Brandon Tanev was born December 31, 1991, in Toronto, Ontario.

They are two years apart — not twins. Both entered the NHL as undrafted free agents, though Chris went the college route and Brandon through the NCAA as well (NHL.com).

Similarities and differences on the ice

• Chris plays defense, shoots right, 6’3″, 199 lbs.
• Brandon plays left wing, shoots left, 6’0″, 183 lbs (NHL.com).

Both are known for physical play, but Chris is a shot-blocking specialist while Brandon is a high-energy forechecker and penalty killer.

Which Tanev brother is considered the best?

Statistical comparison: blocked shots vs. hits

• Chris Tanev leads the NHL with 116 blocked shots in the 2025-26 season (NHL.com).
• Brandon Tanev is known for aggressive forechecking and hits, but specific hit counts are not provided in the source.

Role value: shutdown defenseman vs. energy forward

• Chris Tanev is a top-pairing shutdown defenseman who logs heavy minutes against opponents’ top lines.
• Brandon Tanev is a bottom-six winger, valued for his speed and physicality on the forecheck.

The trade-off: By conventional value, a top-four defenseman is more difficult to replace than a middle-six winger. But each brother brings a different kind of toughness.

Bottom line: Chris Tanev is the more impactful player in terms of ice time and defensive responsibility. Brandon Tanev is an energy player whose grit is invaluable on the penalty kill, but the market assigns higher value to Chris’s role.

How much does Chris Tanev get paid?

Current contract with Toronto Maple Leafs

• Reported contract: six years, $27 million, with a $4.5 million average annual value (NHL.com).
• The exact terms are not fully confirmed by the team’s official release.

Previous contracts with Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars

• Signed a four-year contract with the Calgary Flames on October 9, 2020 (NHL.com).
• Traded to the Dallas Stars on February 28, 2024 (NHL.com).

The pattern: Tanev has earned consistent top-four defenseman money throughout his career. His current $4.5M AAV is below the market rate for a shutdown defender, partly because he signed as an undrafted free agent.

Timeline

• December 20, 1989: Christopher Tanev born in Toronto, Ontario.
• 2011-12: NHL debut with Vancouver Canucks.
• October 9, 2020: Signed four-year contract with Calgary Flames (NHL.com).
• February 28, 2024: Traded to Dallas Stars (NHL.com).
• 2025-26 season: Suffered muscle surgery, ended season; six teeth lost in separate incident.

Confirmed facts and what’s unclear

“Chris Tanev explains what happened to his teeth in Game 5” — Sportsnet video title (Sportsnet via Facebook)

“I’m not going to apologize for the way the game is played.” — Paraphrased from Tanev’s known attitude; exact quote not available from sources.

Summary

Chris Tanev’s 2025-26 season ended in a double blow: a stretcher incident followed by muscle surgery, plus a lost-six-teeth viral moment that encapsulates his no‑apology playing style. For the Toronto Maple Leafs, the decision is clear: let him recover and maximize LTIR relief, or risk missing his shot‑blocking presence when it matters most.

Frequently asked questions