Brock Boeser has made massive strides in his recovery from a scary blood clotting issue discovered last season, but he’s not in the clear just yet.
The winger had to sit out Game 7 of last year’s second round after he was found to have the previously mentioned blood clots. The health issue was thankfully never life-threatening, but it did keep him from playing in that crucial contest and was a scare nonetheless.
He’s improved a lot since then and has stopped taking medication, but that doesn’t mean the blood clotting won’t be a situation to monitor this year.
“I was on blood thinners for a few months during the summer, which I could still skate and stuff but I’d be careful contact-wise,” explained the American-born forward at today’s Jake Milford charity golf tournament.
“But I’ve been off them for a little bit now and I’ve gotten to start doing contact towards the end of the summer.”
Brock Boeser is off blood thinners and has resumed contact training.
It will still be a situation to monitor throughout this season. The forward says that he will need to be careful on flights this year.
Can wear compression gear and use the Normatec to help. #Canucks
— Noah Strang (@noahstrang_) September 9, 2024
Boeser is expected to be ready for the start of training camp and the regular season. He scored a career-high 40 goals last season and then added another seven in just 12 postseason games.
While he’s been cleared for contact at this point, the blood clot issue will still be a concern throughout the season. The frequent flights taken by the Canucks are worrying as air travel can lead to an increased chance of clotting.
Boeser will be taking special precautions in an attempt to mitigate the effects of flying.
“When we travel, I think you got to be safe on the flights, and make sure you’re moving around, not sleeping and stuff,” he explained.
“Walk around, [wear] compression, throw on those Normatecs.”
The Normatec boots are a compression technology often used by professional athletes and teams.
This is the final year of Boeser’s contract which costs $6.65 million against the cap. He’ll be hoping to build off last season and stay healthy to earn a raise on that dollar amount.
“It’s obviously something that you look back on, and it was a tough scenario, but I’m just happy to move forward and really focus on the season,” he continued.
The Canucks start training camp on September 19 as they prepare for the upcoming season.