The Edmonton Oilers held their collective breath during Tuesday’s practice when captain Connor McDavid left the ice early following a collision with defenseman Darnell Nurse. The incident occurred midway through an intense session as the Oilers prepared to face the Boston Bruins on Thursday. Fortunately, head coach Kris Knoblauch is under the impression that there isn’t an injury to be concerned about.
During a routine drill, McDavid and Nurse accidentally collided, sending the Oilers’ star forward to the ice. Nurse immediately checked on McDavid, who gingerly got to his feet before leaving practice as a precaution.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch addressed the situation afterward, reassuring reporters that McDavid appeared to be fine. “I think he’s doing all right. If he wasn’t, I’m sure I probably would have gotten an update right away,” Knoblauch said. He added that no one was to blame and it was simply a weird accident.
The Oilers Were Concerned About McDavid’s Status
Knoblauch admitted there was a brief moment of concern following the collision. “You hold your breath,” he said. “It wasn’t like two guys chasing into the wall. It was just one guy turning left, the other turned right, and they ran into each other. I think everyone’s okay.”
Given McDavid’s importance to the team, it’s understandable the Oilers would be worried. Nurse was too. While McDavid likely left the ice as a precaution, the team and the fans will be pleased to hear that it doesn’t appear to be any significant concern. If there is more to update, we’ll be sure to add it.
Knoblauch also updated Zach Hyman’s status. He said Hyman doesn’t look very good, but he doesn’t expect the forward to miss any time after suffering a broken nose. Hyman took a puck in the face off a deflection Monday night.
For now, the Oilers look ahead to their matchup against Boston, hopeful their captain will be ready to lead the charge.
