The Vancouver Canucks will be shorthanded to start training camp.
General manager Patrik Allvin spoke today and revealed that four players will miss the start of the event, which begins tomorrow morning.
Two of those absences, Dakota Joshua and Thatcher Demko, were expected. Joshua announced yesterday he’s recovering from surgery to remove a tumour from his testicles, while Demko is still battling a knee injury suffered in last year’s playoffs.
However, Allvin also revealed that centre Teddy Blueger and defenceman Cole McWard will miss the start of camp. Both players underwent minor surgeries on their lower bodies recently.
The general manager characterized Blueger as “a week away” and said that McWard is “week-to-week.”
Patrick Allvin said Teddy Blueger and Cole McWard had minor surgeries on their lower body.
They will not participate in the first day of training camp.#Canucks pic.twitter.com/LRYlQbsDWz
— Noah Strang (@noahstrang_) September 18, 2024
Blueger did not suit up for Latvia at an Olympic Qualification tournament, which happened at the end of August.
The Canucks are already relatively thin at centre, and Blueger’s absence offers players like Nils Aman, Linus Karlsson, and Max Sasson the chance to impress.
McWard was not expected to make the big club out of camp but nearly did so last year before spending most of the season in the AHL.
Allvin politely refused further questions regarding Demko and Joshua’s health status out of respect for the players’ privacy. Demko will address the media himself tomorrow to discuss the details of his status.
“He wanted to get in front of [the media] tomorrow and clear where he is,” explained the Canucks GM today about his team’s star goalie.
The Canucks training camp group will be split into three teams, with each getting an on-ice session tomorrow morning. The final roster has still not yet been revealed.