Canucks' Chytil out with upper-body injury after hit from Nurse
Filip Chytil has done a good job of keeping his head on a swivel this season.
Unfortunately, the one time he failed to do so on Thursday night, he got rocked with a massive hit from San Jose Sharks defenceman Darnell Nurse.
Here's the Darnell Nurse hit on Filip Chytil that led to Chytil missing practice today. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/3s8uNWoaCl
— Daniel Wagner (@passittobulis) October 30, 2026
While Chytil returned to the ice after the hit for the Canucks’ late-game push with their goaltender pulled for the extra attacker, he didn’t appear at the team’s practice on Friday at UBC.
According to the Canucks, Chytil missed practice while being evaluated for a re-aggravation of the upper-body injury he suffered during the preseason.
UPDATE: Chytil has been placed on Injured Reserve, which will require him to miss a minimum of seven days.
The Vancouver Canucks centre has dealt with numerous injuries in his career, including several concussions. He spent this past offseason studying video of other fast forwards, aiming to discover how they play at top speed without putting themselves in dangerous situations that lead to injuries.
The most noticeable change is how intentional Chytil has been about being aware of his opponents on the ice.
One of his pre-game drills that he does on his own involves a series of cutbacks with the puck, each of them preceded by quick checks over both shoulders. It seems like he’s been training himself to constantly keep his head up.
Unfortunately, his improved awareness of his opponents on the ice didn’t help him avoid a collision with an official in the preseason. That collision caused a shoulder injury that kept Chytil out of the lineup for three weeks.
The hit on Thursday came when Chytil was already being checked by Macklin Celebrini and did not expect a hit. So, for once, he had his head down, watching the puck as he tried to protect it from the Sharks captain.
The encouraging news is that Chytil has not suffered another head injury. Still, it’s not a good sign that the first significant contact of the season aggravated his shoulder injury.