UPDATE 2:30 p.m. – Kamloops Blazers defenceman Kyle Masters was released from hospital last night as he begins to recover from a lower body injury.

The 20-year-old fell backwards into the corner boards after an awkward and somewhat troubling hit by the Petes’ Brennan Othmann in the third period of the Blazers 10-2 blowout win yesterday.

He was down for several minutes as paramedics tended to him before he was stretched off the ice.

“It was pretty surreal to watch the whole process and see him stretched off the ice,” Blazers Head Coach and GM Shaun Clouston said Monday afternoon.

“We had a couple of guys who were pretty emotional on the bench, so when we heard that there was a thumbs up – I didn’t see it – but when we heard afterwards there was a thumbs up, that’s the most important part. That’s life. That’s not hockey.”

Master sure fell awkward. #MemorialCup2023 #KyleMasters pic.twitter.com/fsxrOuIy07

— CPL Punishment 🇨🇦🇺🇦 (@YKA_Matt) May 29, 2023

 

WATCH 📽️ | @blazerhockey head coach / GM Shaun Clouston provided an update on the status of defenceman Kyle Masters Monday afternoon.#MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/rQtw76Elm6

— The WHL (@TheWHL) May 29, 2023

Clouston says Masters was around the team today as they continue preparations for Wednesday’s showdown against the Seattle Thunderbirds.

“He’s still and sore, though he seems to be in good spirits,” Clouston said.

Clouston previously told the NL Morning News that Masters would miss the rest of Memorial Cup – a point he confirmed Monday afternoon – as the Minnesota Wild prospect has about six-to-eight weeks recovery ahead of him

“It’s difficult for him, extremely difficult,” Clouston said. “You get traded here and you get a chance to compete in the Memorial Cup and that’s cut short. From a team standpoint, he’s an important player for us.”

“He probably, on most nights, [was playing] top two, top three minutes. He factors in a lot of situations so its going to have to next man up for us. Aapo [Sarell] was out of the line up for the first time last game, he gets to come right back in and keep playing.”

Othmann was not penalized for the play, though Clouston called it a “dangerous hit.” The NHL Department of Player Safety, whic handles discipline for the major junior national championship, ruled the hit as a “good non-call” with no suspension or other supplemental discipline to come.

“I thought there was emotion in it,” Clouston told reporters Monday. “I don’t think it was just, OK, I’m going to go finish a check because we’re in the middle of the game and it’s the right thing to do. I thought, at that stage, it was a little bit of an attack.”

Ryan Hofer in the @RadioNLNews @blazerhockey post-game show talking about the Kyle Masters Hit by Brennan Othmann said ‘he would do it to any of us (speaking to Blazer bench)’. Explains why Shaun Clouston was so mad when Othmann went over, and why he didn’t play another shift.

— Jeremy Bosch (@JerBosch) May 29, 2023

The Blazers (1-1) and the Petes (0-2) get the day off today, as its the WHL Champion Seattle Thunderbirds taking on the QMJHL Champion Quebec Remparts.

Catch that game here on RadioNL with Kirk Fraser making the call, starting with the pre-game show at 5:30.

– With files from Jon Keen and Victor Kaisar