Aatu Räty went down the tunnel after taking a hit from behind on Saturday night, and the Canucks are waiting to learn how bad it is.
The Flames' Kevin Bahl caught him from behind, and Räty went head first into the boards. Bahl was assessed only a two-minute cross-checking penalty.
Two minutes for that sequence felt light to plenty of people watching. Head-first contact with the boards is the kind of play nobody wants to see.
The timing stings for the young center. He had been trending toward a regular-season debut, centring Brendan Gallagher and Drew O'Connor at Friday's practice.
He even held his own against Manny Malhotra in a faceoff duel after that practice, a skill the Canucks badly needed after losing key draws against Edmonton.
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Räty is 23, with 28 points in 114 NHL games. Last season he played 66 games for Vancouver.
Kevin Bahl's two-minute minor leaves the Canucks wanting more
This was already a heated game. Luke Schenn and Adam Klapka dropped the gloves just minutes after puck drop.
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Two minutes wasn't enough. A hit from behind that sends a player head first into the boards deserves at least a major, and Player Safety should take a long look.
Calling that a two-minute cross-check is like writing a parking ticket for a car that drove through a storefront.
Vancouver hosts Vegas on Sunday on the back end of a back-to-back. Whether Räty is available will depend on what the medical staff finds tonight.
The Islanders drafted him 52nd overall in 2021, and he has worked for every NHL shift since. Räty finally looked set for a real chance in Vancouver.
Now the Canucks have to hope one bad hit didn't take that chance away.
Should Kevin Bahl be suspended for the hit on Aatu Räty?
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