ICYMI: Jack Rathbone taken off on stretcher after dangerous hit
What a devastating loss for the Vancouver Canucks and its entire organization.
On Wednesday night, defensive prospect Jack Rathbone was hit hard from behind by Bakersfield forward Colton Sceviour.
The incident took place halfway through the third period after Rathbone was chasing down a loose puck in his own end. Despite facing the end boards with his entire number showing, the 22-year-old blueliner was still stapled into the glass by Sceviour, forcing him to be completely lifted off of the ice before crumpling back down to the ground.
Rathbone lay motionless for 13 minutes before being carried off on a stretcher. Sceviour received a five-minute major for boarding, as well as a 10-minute game misconduct.
Oh FFS... Jack Rathbone just got absolutely crushed into the endboards and is still down on the ice#AbbyCanucks #Canucks pic.twitter.com/SKGivjlbiZ
— Cody Severtson (@CodySevertson) February 17, 2022
According to AHL reporter Cody Severtson, Rathbone was able to give his teammates a thumbs-up before being carried off of the ice for further treatment.
Insider Rick Dhaliwal also shared that Rathbone was released from the hospital early Thursday morning with minor damage, but will likely go straight into concussion protocol.
Dhaliwal on Rathbone: Sounds like Rathbone is ok. He was released from the hospital early this morning. Nothing broken. They're going to monitor whether he has a concussion.
— Sportsnet 650 (@Sportsnet650) February 17, 2022
It has been a tough season for Rathbone, who was previously sidelined for five weeks at the beginning of the season with a shoulder injury. Rathbone was also diagnosed with COVID-19, forcing him to miss even more games in late December.
Fortunately, Rathbone didn’t waste any time rediscovering his offensive abilities upon return, registering four goals and nine assists in his first 11 games back.
This was most recently highlighted by 10 points (3-7) in four games, earning Rathbone the honour of “AHL Player of the Week” for the period ending on February 13th.
A 10-point week earns Jack Rathbone (@abbycanucks) AHL Player of the Week honors 🥳 pic.twitter.com/TgoM9weCef
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) February 14, 2022
Rathbone had also tallied two assists on Wednesday night before the injury, bringing his point total to 21 in just 19 games played.
The Abbotsford Canucks organization has yet to provide a status update on their star blueliner, likely due to his previous concussion history, but there’s no doubt that the entire hockey world is hoping for a speedy recovery for Rathbone.
Rathbone 💙💚
— Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) February 17, 2022
Abbotsford is back in action on Saturday night, facing off against the Colorado Eagles. Puck drop is set for 7:05pm.
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