Vancouver Canucks prospect Vasily Podkolzin leaves AHL game on stretcher after hit
Vasily Podkolzin left the Abbotsford Canucks’ game against the Colorado Eagles with just over five minutes to go after landing hard on the ice following a hit from Keaton Middleton.
Podkolzin appeared to have landed head-first into the playing surface.
The player was number 92 Vasily Podkolzin and he has been stretchered off of the ice. Per @kmcglue he was awake and aware as they took him off. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado https://t.co/w8HEBJW87T
— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 26, 2023According to Eagles play-by-play broadcaster Kevin McGlue, Podkolzin was awake and aware as he was taken off the ice. Middleton was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct on the play.
The 22-year-old was playing in his sixth game with the club in what has been an excellent season for the prospect. Podkolzin assisted on Arshdeep Bains’ power-play goal at 9:57 that gave the Canucks a 2-1 advantage. Abbotsford won the contest 5-2.
Very scary situation. Middleton hit Podkolzin and he landed very awkwardly. Stretcher on the ice, it looked like Podkolzin was convulsing. Yikes pic.twitter.com/7ce23wKY03
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) October 26, 2023Podkolzin has seven points in six games, including scoring the game-winning goal against the Eagles earlier in the week.
Drafted 10th overall by the Canucks in 2019, Podkolzin made his NHL debut with the club during the 2021-22 season. He had a respectable 14 goals and 26 points in 79 games before registering a pair of points with Abbotsford during the 2022 playoffs. Podkolzin found himself back in Abbotsford early in the 2022-23 season before finishing off back with Vancouver in a bottom-six role. He had seven points in 39 NHL games last year to go along with 18 points in 28 games.
After not making Vancouver out of training camp, Podkolzin was sent back to Abbotsford, where he has played some of his best pro hockey to date.
As of now, no update has been made about Podkolzin’s status.