Vancouver Canucks minor-leaguer gets booted from game after frightening incident
It’s one of the worst nightmares for fans watching hockey.
While crowds often get on their feet for fights, no one wants to see a player’s head slam into the ice.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to Laval Rocket defenceman Josiah Didier.
In the second period of a game between the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks and the Rocket, Didier got into a scrap with winger Chase Stillman.
The altercation turned into a scary-looking incident, as Stillman dropped Didier, and the defenceman’s head smashed into the ice. Stillman then threw an extra punch as the Rocket defenceman was in a very vulnerable position.
A scary incident in Laval as Chase Stillman drops Josiah Didier head first.
Luckily, Didier was able to skate off on his own despite the stretcher originally being wheeled out. pic.twitter.com/PIjTNPGev2
— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) October 18, 2025
Stillman received a match penalty on the play and was ejected from the game. No supplemental discipline was given to the 22-year-old outside of that, and he was listed on the Canucks AHL roster for Saturday afternoon’s rematch against Laval.
A stretcher was brought out onto the ice, but Didier was able to get up on his own and skate to the dressing room.
He didn’t return to the contest, but Stephane Leroux of RDS reported that Didier was joking with teammates after the game while sporting a bandage on his head. Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent apparently even said that Didier wanted to return to the game.
The Canucks acquired Stillman from the Pittsburgh Penguins back in July, along with a fourth-round draft pick, in exchange for goaltender Artūrs Šilovs.
Stillman, the son of former NHLer Cory Stillman, was originally a first-round pick by the New Jersey Devils back in 2021.