Montreal Canadiens player Emil Heineman is expected to miss three to four weeks after being hit by a car while walking in downtown Salt Lake City a day before playing at the Utah Hockey Club.
The team announced Tuesday that the 23-year-old Swedish forward was out with an upper-body injury after being involved in a pedestrian accident. The Canadiens face Utah on Tuesday night.
Salt Lake City police said in a news release sent to The Associated Press that they received a 911 call around 3 p.m. Monday, and officers were dispatched to the scene near 200 East 500 South and checked the area but could not find the pedestrian or the passerby who reported the incident. Police said officers received information later in the evening from a nearby business, which said it had info likely associated with the crash.
After learning of Heineman’s identity, police said he did not show any signs of serious injuries and was being attended to by team doctors. It was not immediately clear what his injury was.
Police identified all parties involved and said they could not release any additional details. The Utah Highway Patrol is investigating.
Heineman is in his first full NHL season and has 17 points in 41 games with the Canadians. The Leksand, Sweden, native was a second-round pick by Florida in 2020 who was traded to Calgary in 2021 and to Montreal in ’22.
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This story has been corrected to show that Heineman was drafted in 2020, not 2000.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl