In a heartbreaking blow for the Montreal Canadiens, forward Kirby Dach is set to miss the remainder of the season due to ACL and MCL tears in his right knee, both requiring surgery. This devastating news adds to the young player’s history of injuries in his NHL career, contributing to 80 man-games lost to injury. Dach, 22, was in his second season with the Canadiens, showcasing his talent by scoring 14 goals and 24 assists over 58 games in the previous season.
This was supposed to be a big year for the forward. He’ll have to wait to break out until next season, assuming he can recover and come back fully healthy to start 2024-25.
The injury occurred during Saturday’s 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. In the first period, Dach took a hit from Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi that sent him into the opponent’s bench. Clearly in discomfort, he left the ice and did not return for the remainder of the game. This setback is not only a blow to Dach’s promising career but also deeply impacts the Canadiens, who had seen Dach as a key player.
He started the season with two assists in two games. “It’s hard,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said Monday. “He was off to a great start. You see the potential he has and the way he has been playing. But that’s the game.”
Dach was seen at practice Tuesday morning, hanging out on the bench and smiling. It would later be revealed that he was done for the year, with some confusion from fans as to why he was at practice if he was going to need immediate surgery. He was there, both because the team wanted to support him, and he them.
Head coach Martin St. Louis expressed the team’s concern and determination to support Dach during this challenging time. St. Louis emphasized the importance of maintaining Dach’s morale, acknowledging the emotional toll this injury has taken on the young player. Despite the cruel twist of fate, the Canadiens are committed to standing by Dach, both as a player and as part of their team, as they rally around him to offer the necessary support during his recovery.
Dach Has Had Some Lousy Luck
This unfortunate turn of events serves as a reminder, both of the uphill battle Dach faced early in his career and of the unpredictable nature of professional sports. It will take resilience to overcome such setbacks and everyone believes he’s got that relisience.
The Canadiens, while facing this adversity, are focused on providing Dach with the care and encouragement he needs to navigate through this difficult period and come back stronger in the future. In the meantime, it will be interesting to see if the team tries to address his absence via trade or has plans for the salary cap money that will be freed up with Dach on LTIR.
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