It was announced Tuesday afternoon that Vancouver Canucks rookie sensation Brock Boeser suffered a fracture in his back after a collision with Islanders Cal Clutterbuck. Boeser’s recovery time is slated for four to six weeks and will likely keep the youngster out for the remainder of the season.
Before getting injured, Boeser was lighting the league up in the midst of a spirited Calder race with New York Islanders centre Matt Barzal. The 20-year old was destined for 30-goals – maybe even 40 – and was only 15 points away from finishing with 70-points. The craziest part of his wicked first campaign is that he will most likely still finish with more goals than any other rookie. Boeser has 29 goals and 55 points in 62 games played.
With his freshman year unfortunately over, let’s take a look at some of Boeser’s most memorable moments.
Boeser beats Price with unbelievable snipe
This whole scenario shaped up like an old western shootout. Boeser and Price take their best shot, but it was the skilful gunslinger going ace-high to best the veteran bronc buster, letting him know that this town ain’t big enough for the both of them.
The Canucks superstar rookie records his first career hat-trick
The first hat-trick of Boeser’s NHL career came in what was arguably the Canucks most impressive win of the season. Battling against the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champions, Boeser stepped up in a huge way. The young stars three-goal, four-point outing catapulted Vancouver to an impressive 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Brock Boeser wins the shooting accuracy competition, breaks the machine
Perhaps the moment that really got people around the NHL talking about the Canucks’ boy wonder is when Boeser won the shooting accuracy competition at NHL All-Star weekend. When the talented shooter set the pace with an impressive 11.136 seconds to win the competition, one of the NHL’s all-time best, Sidney Crosby, quickly introduced himself to the youngster.
Boeser becomes the first rookie since Mario Lemieux in 1985 to win All-Star game MVP
It took 33 years for another newcomer to come along and join Mario Lemieux as the only rookies to ever win All-Star game MVP. Boeser’s performance in the final game of the three-on-three tournament earned him a goal and an assist, with his goal turning out to be the game-winner in a 5-2 victory over the Central division. After the game, the freshman phenom drove away in a brand new 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid which he won for being named MVP.
