BRATISLAVA, May 10 (Xinhua) -- One day before the first face-off against Finland at the men's ice hockey world championship, Team Canada lose their lead player John Tavares due to an unspecified injury of the upper body on Thursday.

Tavares sustained the injury during a practice session, and after consulting his employer, the Toronto Maple Leafs forward will return to Toronto where he will undergo further medical evaluation.

Team Canada, a strong contender for a top-three position in the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Slovakia, has now three open slots on their roster but will be hard pressed to find an adequate substitute for a player of John Tavares' caliber.

The 2018-2019 regular season of the NHL was the best the 28-years-old star of the Maple Leafs played in his career, scoring 47 goals and adding 41 assists.