Canucks lose Elias Pettersson to injury on painful looking play against Canadiens

Stan Temming


Elias Pettersson’s up-and-down rookie campaign with the Vancouver Canucks continues.

In mid-October, the Swedish phenom missed a few games with a concussion after getting rocked by Florida’s Mike Matheson. Once he returned to action and filling highlight reels, it didn’t take long for him to literally take his play to the bank.

On Wednesday, his selection to the NHL All-Star game and hitting the 20-goal mark this season earned him nearly half-a-million dollars in bonuses.

What happened to him the very next night against the Montreal Canadiens will definitely go in the ‘down’ column of his first season.

During second period action at the Bell Centre, Pettersson got tangled up with Montreal’s Jesperi Kotkaniemi in Vancouver’s zone.

As the Canucks gain control of the puck and begin the process of exiting their defensive end, Kotkaniemi gives Pettersson a bit of a hook. The young Canuck then hits the brakes, the two rookies get tied up and awkwardly tumble to the ice. As that happens, Pettersson’s leg twists and turned in ways it probably isn’t meant to.

The other angle of the play is a lot worse.

Though this entire sequence appears to be a blatant example of interference when you consider the fact that Pettersson wasn’t anywhere near the puck, no penalty was assessed on the play.

He was able to leave under his own power after being on the ice for a few minutes and receiving some attention from Vancouver’s training staff.

Unfortunately, he did not return.

In 37 games this season, the heavy favourite for the Calder Trophy has 22 goals, including the three he netted against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night, and 20 assists for 42 points.

Montreal went on to win the game 2-0.

Vancouver’s head coach Travis Green gave an update on Pettersson’s condition following the final buzzer.

The Canucks are in the middle of a six-game road trip with their home rink, Rogers Arena, currently hosting the 2019 World Juniors.

Elias Pettersson’s roller coaster of a first season in the NHL continues. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images)
Elias Pettersson’s roller coaster of a first season in the NHL continues. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images)

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