New York Rangers' J.T. Miller, back left, misses the open net behind Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko (35) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, on Tuesday, October 28, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

By The Canadian Press

Winger Conor Garland latest Vancouver Canucks player to suffer early season injury

Oct 28, 2025 | 11:00 PM

VANCOUVER — Yet another player appears to have joined the Vancouver Canucks’ corps of walking wounded.

Conor Garland was levelled by Rangers forward Sam Carrick near the end of the first period of Vancouver’s 2-0 loss to New York on Tuesday. Carrick hit the winger so hard his helmet went flying.

Garland played the second period but did not return to the ice for the third, adding yet another player to Vancouver’s lengthy list of injuries.

Canucks head coach Adam Foote did not have an update on Garland after the game, and said his team is simply going to continue on with the players it has available.

“It’s the next man up and there’s nothing you can do except keep going,” he said. “And that’s what we’re going to do.”

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If Garland is out any length of time, it would be another major blow for the Canucks (5-6-0). The feisty forward leads the team in points with 11 (three goals, eight assists) over 11 games early in the 2025-26 campaign.

Heading into Tuesday’s game, Vancouver already had six players on the injured reserve list, including defenceman Derek Forbort and Victor Mancini, and forwards Nils Hoglander, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Teddy Blueger and Filip Chytil.

Captain Quinn Hughes also missed a second straight game with what Foote described as a lower-body injury. He said the star defenceman is “day to day” and will be re-evaluated on Wednesday.

The early season injury situation is unusual, conceded Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko, who missed a large chunk of last season with a knee ailment.

“It’s tough,” he said. “We’ve got a game in two days we’ve got to get ready for. So hopefully (Garland’s) OK. Hopefully everybody’s OK. Our focus is on kind of the next man up and going to get some wins.”

Vancouver’s decimated lineup struggled to generate offence through the first two periods against the Rangers, and were outshot 18-11 heading into the final frame, where the home side peppered New York goalie Jonathan Quick with 12 shots.

New addition Lukas Reichel led the Canucks with four shots on the night, but remained frustrated he didn’t see any go in.

“I’ve just got to put it in the back of the net,” said Reichel, who Vancouver acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday. “Yeah, I’ve got a lot of chances. My dad always told me that as long as you have chances, you don’t have to be worried. But it would be nice if I get one and help the team win.

“I think today was a good opportunity to do that, but I’m going to keep pushing, keep trying, and hopefully it goes in next game.”

WELCOME BACK

Rangers captain J.T. Miller played his first game back in Vancouver since the Canucks traded him to New York on Jan. 31.

A video tribute to the star centre was shown on the big screen midway through the first period, drawing standing ovations from the crowd and both benches.

“It’s just surreal,” Miller said of the moment. “You don’t realize how lucky you are, and just really happy that my kids got to be here today and my wife. It means a ton to me, and I just feel super lucky to have that support in a hockey crazy city. It was a really special chapter of our lives here.”

QUICK APPRECIATION

New York netminder Jonathan Quick stopped all 23 shots he faced to record his first shutout of the season and the 64th of his storied career.

The feat earned praise from Vancouver’s goalie after the game.

“He was my idol,” Demko said. “I grew up in San Diego, and he was kind of coming up through the ranks in L.A. and he was definitely a guy that I always idolized. And I’ve been around him a little bit over the years, just kind of working out in the summer and things like that, especially early in my career.

“And he got the better of me tonight.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2025.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press