Vancouver Canucks forward Filip Chytil will not return to the game after a shoulder-first collision in the corner against the Edmonton Oilers.
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Vancouver Canucks forward Filip Chytil will not return to Thursday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers after crashing shoulder-first into the boards in the corner, according to an announcement from the Canucks.
The Canucks said the incident occurred after an inadvertent collision with referee Riley Brace, after which Chytil departed the contest and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
The injury comes amid growing concern around Chytil’s history of head and upper-body issues. The forward has previously spent extended stretches on the injured list, including concussion-related absences.
In 2023-24, Chytil missed most of the season and the playoffs after an upper-body injury and issues connected to concussion symptoms while playing for the New York Rangers.
He sustained another concussion in March 2025, which the report described as his fifth concussion, and subsequently missed significant time during the 2025-26 season after dealing with concussion effects and migraines.
Earlier in 2026, a deflected slap shot struck Chytil in the face during practice, resulting in facial fractures and effectively ending his regular-season participation, the report said.
Chytil’s injury background has been a recurring element of his NHL timeline despite his role as a regular offensive contributor. Over 405 career NHL games, he has recorded 80 goals and 93 assists, with 27 combined games played over the last two seasons cited in the report.
Born in the Czech Republic, Chytil broke into the Czech Extraliga as a teenager before being selected 21st overall by the New York Rangers in the 2017 NHL Draft. He reached the NHL later that year and developed into a consistent presence in New York’s lineup.
Chytil signed a four-year extension in 2023, and his later seasons increasingly reflected concussion issues and related complications. He returned for the Rangers’ 2024 playoff run before being traded to the Canucks in January 2025 as part of the J.T. Miller deal.
For Vancouver, Chytil’s absence removes a forward from the lineup during the team’s in-season match-up against a division rival, while also adding urgency to how the Canucks manage a player whose availability has been shaped in recent years by concussion and other injuries.
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