Sabres' Warrener Out Of Finals

June 18, 1999 / 6:08 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rhett Warrener will miss the rest of the Stanley Cup finals after breaking an ankle in a fight during Thursday night's game. He had surgery Friday.

"Unless we get him a bigger skate, he won't be able to play," coach Lindy Ruff said.

Warrener was injured in a scuffle with Dallas defenseman Derian Hatcher in the final moments of the Stars' 2-0 victory.

The victory gave Dallas a 3-2 lead and put the Stars one victory from winning the best-of-7 series. Game 6 will be played Saturday night in Buffalo

Warrener was wrestling with Hatcher when he fell to the ice. "I don't know what happened," Hatcher said. "I know he tried to throw me down."

Warrener left the dressing room after the game on crutches and with a cast on his right ankle.

One of the Sabres' tougher and more reliable defensemen with a plus-minus rating in the playoffs of plus-12, Warrener probably would not play again even if the Sabres were able to extend the series to a seventh game in Dallas on Tuesday.

Warrener's probable replacement, Darryl Shannon, played for much of the regular season with Warrener's defensive partner, Jay KcKee.

Shannon played in 71 games during the regular season and appeared in only one playoff game this year. This is the veteran's first appearance in a Stanley Cup final.

"I've waited a long time for this," said Shannon, who turns 30 on Monday.

Shannon hasn't played since Game 1 of the first-round sweep of Ottawa.