Colorado Avalanche goalie Scott Wedgewood, who’s put himself in the conversation to make Canada’s Olympic team amidst an impressive season, left Tuesday’s game against the visiting Vancouver Canucks with an upper-body injury in the second period.
Following the 3-1 win, head coach Jared Bednar told the media Wedgewood was removed due to back tightness, adding it’s “nothing serious as of now.”
Bednar says Wedgewood’s back tightened up a bit, so they pulled him to be “better safe than sorry”
Added that it’s “nothing serious as of now”
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“He just tightened up a little bit, his back. So, thought we’d take him out. Better safe than sorry,” said the coach. “We’ll just see how his injury develops over the next couple days and take it from there. Nothing too serious at this point.”
Wedgewood stopped 10 of 11 shots before being replaced by Mackenzie Blackwood.
The 33-year-old NHL veteran from Etobicoke, Ont., has posted a 13-1 record alongside a 2.08 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage over 18 games this season for the first-place Avs.
Wedgewood was acquired from the Nashville Predators in late November of last season, producing a 13-4 record with a 1.99 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage over 19 appearances with Colorado in 2024-25.
He signed a one-year, $2.5 million extension with the Avalanche last month.
Wedgewood has been a career backup during his seven years in the NHL, never playing more than 34 games.
Other goalies in the mix to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy include St. Louis Blues’ Jordan Binnington, who helped Canada win gold at the inaugural Four Nations Face-Off tournament last year, as well as Logan Thompson of the Washington Capitals, Darcy Kuemper of the Los Angeles Kings and Jake Allen of the New Jersey Devils
Team Canada general manager Doug Armstrong must submit the 25-player roster on Dec. 31.
The 2026 Olympic tournament begins on Feb. 11.