Golden Knights label Theodore week-to-week after injury with Canada
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Vegas Golden Knights defenceman Shea Theodore has been labelled week-to-week with the upper-body injury he sustained with Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off on Wednesday.
Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper declined to reveal the full extent of Theodore's injury after a 4-3 overtime win over Sweden, only confirming he will miss the remainder of the tournament which ends next Thursday.
“What a kid, and he only got to play six minutes,” Cooper said. “It’s heartbreaking for the kid. And he was the first one there at the door high-fiving everybody when we came off. It’s a tough one to swallow because you just know how much it means.”
Theodore injured his right wrist or forearm when he got pushed into the glass on a hit by Sweden’s Adrian Kempe in the second period of Canada's eventual 4-3 overtime win. He left the ice in pain and was looked at on the bench before going down the tunnel to get X-rays.
“I didn’t know, actually, either until the intermission when they came in and told me,” Kempe said of Theodore's injury. “I can’t even remember the hit to be honest, so I’m going to have to go back and look.”
Theodore, 29, has seven goals and 48 points in 55 games this season while sitting second on the team in ice time at 22:02 per game. Alex Pietrangelo, who leads the Golden Knights with an average of 22:35 per game, withdrew from Team Canada for the 4 Nations tournament last month.
The 29-year-old Theodore carries a cap hit of $5.2 million this season with his seven-year contract set to kick in next season at a cap hit of $7.43 million.
For Team Canada, Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Travis Sanheim is set to replace Theodore after joining forward Sam Bennett as the team's healthy scratches against Sweden.
TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston reports Canada can inform a player he's next on their list to be called up, but cannot name an additional player to their roster unless there is another injury on defence.