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The Edmonton Oilers and Team Canada have received a blow as star defenseman Evan Bouchard was forced to leave a game on May 28 due to injury. Bouchard was featuring for Canada at the IIHF World Championships in Switzerland.

During a quarterfinal matchup against Team USA, American blueliner Ryan Lindgren hit Bouchard directly in the head with his shoulder. The Oilers star hit the ice immediately and was seemingly knocked out cold. Referees reviewed the illegal hit and eventually gave Lindgren a five-minute major and a game misconduct. The veteran defenseman also plays in the NHL for the Seattle Kraken.

Canadian trainers quickly rushed onto the ice to help Bouchard back to the dressing room. The Edmonton defenseman obviously did not return to the game, which was eventually won by Canada by a score of 4-0. Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Jet Greaves starred for Canada between the pipes, lowering his GAA to 1.33 during the tournament.

Team Canada will now move on, but potentially without Bouchard for the remainder of the competition. The Oilers blueliner was having a solid tournament, racking up five assists and a goal in eight total games. Canada will move on to the semifinals to be played on May 30. Team USA, on the other hand, will now not defend its World Championship title.

Evan Bouchard Recently had ‘Concussion-Like Symptoms’ with the Edmonton Oilers

GettyEvan Bouchard is widely regarded as one of the best NHL defensemen.

News of a potential concussion for Bouchard is extremely worrisome for the player and the Edmonton Oilers. Frank Seravalli previously reported that the star played with a concussion against the Anaheim Ducks during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Bouchard, however, did not miss a game during the series. The Ducks eventually shocked the heavily favored Oilers by winning the first-round series in six games.

The Edmonton Journal, however, has since refuted Seravalli’s claims. Following Bouchard’s injury with Team Canada, the outlet claimed that “reports of an actual concussion turned out to be false,” yet admitted that the defenseman “did take a hard head shot” against the Ducks. Seravalli still maintains that Bouchard played in the playoffs with “concussion-like symptoms.”

Statistically speaking, Bouchard was one of the top NHL defensemen throughout the 2025-26 season. In fact, he led all blueliners with 74 assists and 95 points. Despite this, the Oilers star was not named as a finalist for the annual Norris Trophy. Rasmus Dahlin, Cale Makar, and Zach Werenski were nominated instead.

Edmonton Hoping Bouchard can Bounce Back Quickly

Because the NHL season just ended for the Edmonton Oilers, Bouchard will have plenty of time to recuperate. Carolina Hurricanes rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin also recently suffered a concussion in the playoffs against the Ottawa Senators. The Russian budding star ended up only missing two games before returning to the lineup. Carolina, however, had extra time off due to sweeping the Senators.

The biggest concern for Bouchard and the Oilers is the long-term effects that come with multiple concussions. Pittsburgh Penguins legend Sidney Crosby previously missed significant time in 2011 and 2012 due to concussion issues. Edmonton and Bouchard will, however, now likely have their next matchup against Lindgren and the Kraken circled on the calendar.