Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore suffered an injury against Sweden in the opening game of the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Theodore was checked into the boards early in the second period by Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe and immediately sensed something was wrong, grabbing his wrist before leaving the game.
Shortly after, the 29-year-old was ruled out and following the game, Team Canada HC Jon Cooper ruled him out for the remainder of the tournament.
“That’s a big blow,” Cooper said. “It’s heartbreaking for the kid. He was the first one there at the door hugging everybody that came off. That’s a tough one to swallow because you know how much it means.”
Jon Cooper says Shea Theodore is out for the tournament
“A big blow”
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 13, 2025
Theodore’s injury luck throughout the past three seasons has been awful, and if he is out long-term, it would mark the third consecutive season where he was on pace to set a new career-high in points but had his season cut short.
He missed 27 games in the 2022-23 season, 35 games last year, and if the injury keeps him out until the end of the season, he would be missing another 27 games. At the moment, the length of the injury has not been revealed, and both he and the Golden Knights are hoping for good news, but early signs aren’t favourable.
The Aldergrove, BC native has been the best defenseman on the Golden Knights, and it was why he was named to Team Canada and was going to play a large role. When NHL games resume, the Golden Knights will miss Theodore’s presence on the blue line, and if he’s out long-term, they could look to find a temporary replacement on the trade market like they’ve done in the past.
As Team Canada 🇨🇦 seeks clarity from the NHL in the wake of Shea Theodore’s injury, they have been told they can identify and notify a player that he would be next up. But they have to play with the six remaining “D” they have left until they drop below that.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) February 13, 2025
Unfortunately for Canada, unless an additional player sustain injuries, they can’t call upon any other player not on their roster. Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim will enter the lineup to replace Theodore.
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