Boeser, Fantenberg In Concussion Protocol

We had really hoped it would take a while before we had to start talking about injuries this season. The Canucks have struggled over the past few with injuries to key players, and last night saw 2 Canucks suffer potential concussions as the result of dirty hits by Ottawa Senators players.

First, here’s the Jordan Szwarz hit on Oscar Fantenberg:

Szwarz was given 5 for boarding and a game misconduct. Then in the 3rd, Chris Tierney on Brock Boeser:

Both hits completely on the numbers, and in the case of the Tierney hit, avoidable. There’s absolutely no reason for him to drill Boeser there, especially given the proximity of the boards, when he could wrap him up and take him into the boards without causing injury.

It’s worth noting there’s not been a peep from DoPS about this, and given the teams meet again tomorrow night, if there was a suspension coming for either of these cheapshots, it would have been doled out quickly so that the players in question would not be available for the next contest.

It’s frustrating, not just as a Canucks fan, but a hockey fan in general to have the league simply allow guys like Boeser, let alone any player get gooned like this and not have there be any kind of serious consequences. Boeser already has an injury history, and was in just his second post-season contest this year when the hit happened. So now the Canucks have to possibly head into the start of the season without their 1st line winger and a depth defenceman, and the players who hit them, one will continue to play, the other will slink off to the AHL, I would imagine.

Here’s Coach Green on the players:

We’ll update you on anything else that happens, but expect fireworks in tomorrow night’s game if either of those two are in the Ottawa lineup.