The Vancouver Canucks cannot catch a break when it comes to injuries. Brock Boeser and Zeev Buium have been moved to injured reserve following Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh. In a corresponding move, forward Jonathan Lekkerimäki and defenceman Victor Mancini have been called up from Abbotsford.
General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that F Brock Boeser and D Zeev Buium have been placed on IR (retroactive to Jan. 25) and F Jonathan Lekkerimäki and D Victor Mancini have been recalled from Abbotsford (AHL).
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 26, 2026
How the Injuries Occurred and the Aftermath
Brock Boeser suffered his injury just as the final horn sounded last game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Bryan Rust elbowed Boeser up high and he was down immediately. Head coach Adam Foote had no update on Boeser following the game. This injury comes just as Boeser had found his offensive firepower again, with goals in back-to-back games. Despite his struggles this season, he is still tied for third place in team scoring, with 25 points in 50 games.
Bryan Rust get the elbow up on Brock Boeser late in the third.
🎥: Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/ykovrXFuTp
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) January 26, 2026
Bryan Rust will have a hearing on Tuesday with the NHL Department of Player Safety for his elbow on Boeser. This will likely result in a suspension, and we will know more on that after the hearing.
Pittsburgh’s Bryan Rust will have a hearing tomorrow morning for an illegal check to the head against Vancouver’s Brock Boeser. https://t.co/K8cMz139Hz
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) January 26, 2026
Zeev Buium suffered his injury in the first period of the game, as he took a puck in the face. He returned in the second period with a bubble helmet, but he will miss some time. TSN analyst Darren Dreger mentioned that a possible timeline for Buium would be missing 10-14 days. The 20-year-old has been a promising addition to the d-core with his puck moving ability. He has recorded six points in 20 games with Vancouver.
The #canucks lost a couple of games this weekend, and also a couple of key players. Dregs stopped by with an injury update from the weekend.@mattsekeres | @justblakeprice | @DarrenDreger
Presented by @bet365_ca | #neverordinary #bet365 pic.twitter.com/NaBPxqK6uw
— Sekeres and Price (@sekeresandprice) January 26, 2026
Young Players Get An Opportunity
Vancouver has called up Jonathan Lekkerimäki and Victor Mancini from Abbotsford. This will be a good chance for them to showcase their talents to the big club. Lekkerimäki has shown that he has been a great shooter, as he has scored ten goals and six assists for 16 points with Abbotsford. Victor Mancini has yet to find his footing in the NHL, as he has yet to record a point with Vancouver this season. For Abbotsford, he has recorded eight points in 24 games.
The Canucks will return to action on Tuesday night against the San Jose Sharks at 7:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
Main Photo Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images