Mason Raymond of the Vancouver Canucks lays on the ice after being checked by Johnny Boychuk of the Boston Bruins.Harry How
Vancouver Canucks winger Mason Raymond's season is over after he was hit awkwardly into the boards 15 seconds into Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final and taken directly to a Boston hospital.
On Tuesday, the Canucks revealed the extent of the damage, as general manager Mike Gillis announced Raymond "sustained a vertebrae compression fracture" and will miss three to four months recovering.
The play in question was an odd one, with Raymond and Boston Bruins defenceman Johnny Boychuk both going for and missing a loose puck.
Boychuk then briefly put his stick between Raymond's legs, spinning him around so that he was travelling bent over and backwards. He then pushed the Canuck into the boards, rear-end first.
Raymond immediately collapsed to the ice and appeared to be in considerable pain while being attended to by a trainer. He was helped to his feet by two teammates. Now knowing the severity of the injury, however, he likely shouldn't have skated off the ice.
There was no penalty on the play, and after a review, the league's acting disciplinarian Mike Murphy ruled against a suspension. Neither player was near the puck when the impact with the boards occurred.
The Bruins went on to win the game 5-2, forcing Game 7 on Wednesday in Vancouver. It's expected Jeff Tambellini will take Raymond's spot in the lineup.
Raymond joins a growing list of injured Canuck players.
Defenceman Dan Hamhuis is sidelined with an undisclosed injury, while Mikael Samuelsson is out after undergoing successful surgery to repair his adductor tendon and sports hernia.
Defenceman Aaron Rome was suspended for a hit on Boston's Nathan Horton in Game 3.
Vancouver centre Ryan Kesler and defenceman Christian Ehrhoff are playing with suspected injuries.
With a file from The Canadian Press