Canucks defenceman Ethan Bear may need offseason surgery
Sounds like Ethan Bear will have a rough start to his summer vacation.
The Vancouver Canucks defenceman suffered an injury at the IIHF World Championship last month during the dying seconds of Canada’s quarter-final game against Finland. Bear was in obvious pain as he skated off the ice, and the 25-year-old blueliner missed the semi-final and final — though he did take home a gold medal.
CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal reported today on Donnie and Dhali that the apparent shoulder injury may be serious enough that it needs surgery.
.@DhaliwalSports on #Canucks Defenseman Ethan Bear:
Sources say discussions are taking place about possible surgery for Ethan Bear on his shoulder, an injury suffered at the world championships.
Recovery would take a few months if surgery happens.https://t.co/h4e2SKM7eJ pic.twitter.com/8YESvda25o
— Donnie & Dhali (@DonnieandDhali) June 9, 2023
“There is a route to playing and not having surgery,” Dhaliwal tweeted, before adding that it “sounds like they are leaning towards doing the surgery.”
This is the second straight year that a Canucks defenceman has suffered a significant injury at the World Championship, as Oliver Ekman-Larsson broke his foot at the 2022 tournament. The injury threw a wrench into OEL’s offseason workout plans, and the defenceman ended up having a dreadful season in Vancouver.Ā The Canucks will be hoping that Bear doesn’t follow a similar path.
Bear appeared in 61 games for the Canucks last season, after being acquired in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes. The Regina product scored 16 points (3-13-16) and averaged 18:32 of ice time. He’s a pending restricted free agent after the expiry of his one-year, $2.2 million contract.
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