Team Canada had a tougher than expected game today with Latvia, but eeked out a 2-1 win thanks to a third period goal from Shea Weber. However, the victory may be a costly one as centre John Tavares suffered a knee injury. Canada coach Mike Babcock has announced that Tavares is out for the tournament, and his knee will be re-evaluated when he returns to New York.

John Tavares Out of The Olympics With Knee Injury

Tavares was injured when he was hit along the boards by Arturs Kulda. He went down in a heap and was in obvious pain. While he was able to skate off the ice, it was clear that he was feeling the effects in his knee.

The 23-year-old was playing on the fourth line for Canada. While the lines have rotated quite a bit, he was playing with Patrick Sharp and Rick Nash today. He did not record a point in his four Olympic games, though he looked dangerous at times despite the limited ice time. Tavares is the captain of the New York Islanders and has 24 goals and 66 points in 59 games this season.

Last season, Tavares was a finalist for the Hart Trophy. He led the Islanders to their first playoff spot since 2007, scoring 28 goals and 47 points in 48 games.

Canada will face the United States, who beat the Czech Republic 5-2 today, in Friday’s semi-final. The game will be played at noon EST.

Matt Duchene of the Colorado Avalanche, who was a healthy scratch in today’s game, will likely take Tavares spot on the roster. As for the lines, the combinations Babcock decides to use for this crucial matchup remain to be seen after the Canadian forwards got a lot of shots, but not many goals today vs Latvia.

Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @lastwordBkerr. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter –@LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.

Interested in writing for LWOS? We are looking for enthusiastic, talented writers to join our Hockey writing team. Visit our “Write for Us” page for very easy details in how you can get started today!