If training camp for young players is all about standing out, then Vancouver’s Jake Virtanen certainly accomplished that late in the second period of tonight’s game, albeit in a scary way.
Virtanen was in front of Edmonton Oilers goalie Cam Talbot while the Canucks worked to take advantage of a power-play opportunity. Yannick Weber fired a shot towards the net, but it struck Virtanen in the face. Virtanen went down as the deflected puck went over Talbot’s shoulder.
Virtanen left the ice after that incident, although he waved to the crowd as he did so, earning a round of applause from the crowd in Edmonton, per the Vancouver Province’s Jason Botchford. He was able to return to return for the third period.
He also earned an assist earlier in the game. The 19-year-old forward, who was taken with the sixth overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, is in the running for a roster spot.