The Vancouver Canucks announced Friday that star forward Elias Pettersson has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to December 23. The Swedish player was injured during the clash against the San Jose Sharks, a match in which he scored two goals.
In the same press release, general manager Patrik Allvin confirmed the emergency recall of goalkeeper Artūrs Šilovs.
To return to the wound of Peteythis occurred during the second period of the match against the team led by Macklin Celebrini. Although he attempted to return to the game during the third period, he ultimately had to withdraw. In total, he spent only 14:56 on the ice during this confrontation.
After the matchup, head coach Rick Tocchet said the injury didn’t appear too serious and that the Christmas break would provide valuable recovery time for the 6-foot-2 athlete. Unfortunately, his illness prevented him from participating in the Canucks’ last three games.
Despite a difficult start to the season, number 40 has found its rhythm recently. In his first 16 games, he had only ten points, drawing criticism from fans given the lucrative contract Patrik Allvin awarded him on March 2, 2024: an eight-year pact worth of $11.6 million per campaign. However, since November 17, he has recorded 18 points in 18 games, bringing his total to 28 points in 34 games this year.
During his career, Pettersson posted impressive statistics with Vancouver. In 441 games, he collected 440 points, which places him tenth in the history of the Western Canadian franchise, at only 26 years old. He is only nine points short of joining Todd Bertuzzi, currently in ninth place.
The Canucks currently occupy fourth place in the Pacific Division and hold last place among drafted teams.
