HIGHLIGHTS
- Evan Bouchard was knocked out cold by Ryan Lindgren at the World Championship
- Lindgren received a five-minute major and game misconduct for an illegal check to the head
- See video of the hit and the latest updates on Bouchard’s status below
This one was scary.
Evan Bouchard was knocked out cold Thursday when Team USA’s Ryan Lindgren caught him with an illegal check to the head in the first period of Canada’s World Championship quarterfinal. Bouchard went down immediately and appeared unconscious on the ice before being helped off by trainers.
Lindgren was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct. Bouchard was officially ruled out for the remainder of the game early in the second period.
Video of the Hit
Check out Lindgren’s hit on Bouchard below:
The hit came at 6:12 of the first period as Bouchard entered the offensive zone and released the puck. Lindgren stepped up and caught him high. Canada couldn’t capitalize on the ensuing five-minute power play.
Morgan Rielly spoke during the first intermission about losing Bouchard.
“You don’t want to see guys go down. Obviously he’s a very important player for us, a very talented player. We need guys to step up, take on more ice time and responsibility… We’ll be able to do that,” Rielly told TSN’s Brit Dort.
The timing makes this especially concerning. Frank Seravalli reported earlier this month that Bouchard played through a concussion during Edmonton’s first-round series against the Anaheim Ducks. Oilers GM Stan Bowman flatly denied the report, saying “No, that is not accurate” when asked about it directly.
Bowman did acknowledge that Bouchard played through pain during the playoffs, with doctors questioning after some games whether he’d be able to go the next night. Bouchard always played. Whether that pain was concussion-related is now very much back in question.
Bouchard had been one of Canada’s best players at this tournament, entering Thursday with a goal and five assists in seven games. This was also his first time representing Canada at the men’s level after being passed over for the Olympics in February.
The 26-year-old led all NHL defensemen in scoring this season with 95 points (21 goals, 74 assists) for the Oilers. He came to Worlds partly to make his case for a future Hockey Canada roster spot.
No timeline on Bouchard’s return has been announced. Head coach Misha Donskov is expected to provide an update once Thursday’s game wraps up.
