Pettersson injured at 4 Nations and Hughes hurt too for Vancouver Canucks
The hits keep coming for the Vancouver Canucks.
With the team getting ready to resume the season Saturday in Las Vegas, Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet delivered some bad news regarding two star players.
It looks like the Canucks will be without both Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson against the Vegas Golden Knights, according to a report from Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre.
Per Canucks coach Rick Tocchet, C Elias Pettersson's status is day-to-day w injury from 4 Nations, and it doesn't appear Quinn Hughes will be ready to play SAT vs VGK. Both Pettersson and Hughes left the ice shortly after today's practice began.
— Iain MacIntyre (@imacSportsnet) February 22, 2025
Hughes indicated earlier this week that he thought he could play in Saturday’s game, so his absence is a surprise. The Canucks captain hasn’t played since suffering a reported oblique injury on Jan. 31 in Dallas.
Pettersson was apparently hurt while playing for Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Canucks centre played in all three games for his country but saw his ice time decline with each game. Pettersson was also spotted icing his knee between periods, though it’s unclear if that’s related to his potential absence for Saturday’s game.
This news comes just three days after it was revealed that Thatcher Demko’s injury will keep him out longer than expected as well.
Just 27 games remain on the Canucks’ schedule and just six of those come before the March 7 trade deadline. Vancouver is hoping for a second straight trip to the playoffs and holds a three-point cushion on the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.