Canucks’ Kiefer Sherwood leaves game for undisclosed reasons

The Vancouver Canucks have announced that winger Kiefer Sherwood has left Thursday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers with an undisclosed issue.

Sherwood last had a shift midway through the second period of the game, and did not return in the period. The Canucks announced before the start of the third period that Sherwood would not be returning to the game.

However, the Canucks did not specify the reason for his departure, not even indicating whether or not it was an injury. More details on his departure will either be revealed after the Thursday’s game or whenever the Canucks return to Vancouver ahead of Saturday’s game against the Washington Capitals.

Sherwood left the game with two penalty minutes, a blocked shot and three hits in 8:56 of ice time, with the Canucks trailing 4-0 to the Oilers at the time of his departure.

With Sherwood out of the lineup, the Canucks have rotated a few players in his spot on the third line alongside Danton Heinen and Teddy Blueger. Brock Boeser, Phillip Di Giuseppe and Linus Karlsson have gotten the most ice time with the two so far.

Sherwood and the Canucks will have to hope that this mysterious departure won’t slow down the season that he has had so far with 13 goals and 8 assists for 21 points in 46 games. While his point total isn’t a career high yet, he is well on pace to clear it, and has already surpassed his career high in goals.

Should Sherwood miss more than Thursday’s game, Nils Hoglander was the lone healthy scratch among the forwards and will likely draw into the lineup in Sherwood’s place. Hoglander is one of many Canucks having a difficult season, as he has just 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points in 43 games played, a far cry from the 24-goal, 36-point season he had in the 2023-24 season.