Burrows sidesteps suspension, but sidelined by injury
CALGARY — A day after a contentious National Hockey League ruling cleared him to play in Game 4, Vancouver Canucks winger Alex Burrows was felled by a mysterious injury Tuesday that could cost him much more than one playoff game.
Burrows left the ice early during Tuesday’s optional game-day skate at the Scotiabank Saddledome. In obvious discomfort and hunched over, Burrows was followed down the tunnel by team medical staff and trainers.
He spent more than an hour in the Vancouver dressing room area before being wheeled out on a stretcher and put into an ambulance, which transported him to a Calgary hospital.
The Canucks issued a statement shortly after that saying Burrows had suffered an upperbody injury and was being taken to hospital for precautionary reasons.
Later, Renaud Lavoie of TVA in Quebec reported that Burrows had suffered a broken rib. If that’s the case, he won’t be back for the remainder of this first-round best-of-seven series.
Burrows remained in hospital early Tuesday, but the team expected him to be released later in the evening and hoped he would accompany them on their charter flight to Vancouver following the game.
The team would provide no other details on the injury.
Burrows’ injury occurred one day after the NHL head office decided it would not enforce a one-game suspension that Burrows faced for the instigator penalty he received for a late third-period fight with Flames defenceman Kris Russell.
Burrows has 19 goals and 34 points in 70 playoff games with the Canucks. Daniel Sedin (24) and Henrik Sedin (22) are the only players on the roster with more playoff goals.
Burrows was one of two Canucks forwards to miss Tuesday’s game. Centre Brad Richardson sat out with an undisclosed injury. Linden Vey and Brandon McMillan filled their spots in the lineup.