BREAKING NEWS :Shortly after the start of the third period, Sportsnet’s Brendan Batchelor announced on social media that Kevin Lankinen had left the game due to a muscle strain and apparently would not be returning.
Former Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat could be facing a lengthy suspension by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety after his dangerous bus incidental hit on Minnesota Wild defenseman Jacob Middleton.
With the Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin not making any big splashes at this years memorable NHL trade deadline, many fans have been wondering who they will be acquiring in the offseason to make up for it.
Bo Horvat facing supplemental decision form the NHL
In the second period of the Minnesota Wild and New York Islanders matchup, fan favorite Jacob Middleton was forced to exit the game after crashing head first into the boards from a slight nudge by Bo Horvat.
Although just a minor penalty being called on the play, with the injury to Middleton, it is assured that Horvat will have a hearing with the department of player safety, but opinions if he should get a suspension is highly contes tested.
Cleary, Horvat is not the kind of player to engage in a play like this on purpose, but at the end of the day, it is not the intent but the outcome of the play, and in reality, Middleton was seriously injured.
Horvat immedicably went an addressed Middleton as he laid on the ice in pain, showing the intent was not there.
Here is another angle.Hopefully Middleton is okay and NHL fans will be waiting a decsion from he league.
Photo credit: Canucks Daily
Vancouver Canucks netminder Kevin Lankinen ended his season in a way that no player wants to after being forced to leave last night’s game due to an injury
The Vancouver Canucks’ 2024-25 season has now officially come to a close and it’s safe to say it’s going to be an interesting offseason for Patrik Allvin & Co., with several big decisions on the horizon.
Before taking a look to the offseason and what the team plans on doing, Rick Tocchet’s group had some business to take care of last night at Rogers Arena and unfortunately, an injury forced Kevin Lankinen out of the game.
Vancouver Canucks’ Kevin Lankinen leaves last night’s game due to injury
With the score knotted up at one goal a piece through 40 minutes, the Vancouver Canucks took to the ice for the final frame looking to give the home fans something to cheer about heading into the offseason.
However, as the team stepped onto the ice, there was no sign of Finnish goaltender Kevin Lankinen as rookie Nikita Tolopilo, who made his NHL debut on Monday, was between the pipes to start the third period.
Shortly after the third period began, Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet shared on social media that Kevin Lankinen left the game due to a muscle strain and, obviously, wasn’t going to return.
After all the success that Kevin Lankinen had this season and his path to getting to Vancouver, it sucks to see that an injury is the way he closes out his first year as a Canucks.
Lankinen joined the Vancouver Canucks on the eve of training camp in September due to Thatcher Demko‘s injury, which he suffered in the playoffs last year and kept him out until early December.
The Helsinki, Finland native took on the starting reigns immediately and impressed the fan base and just a couple months after his Canucks debut, set a new NHL record after starting the season with a 10-0-0 record on the road.
Lankinen finished the season with a 25-15-10 record in 51 games, along with a 2.62 goals against average, a .902 save percentage and four shutouts.
As we head into next season, it’s going to be very interesting to watch the goalie battle in training camp and who will get the nod in net for their opening game of the 2025-26 campaign.
