Vancouver Canucks fans face backlash for cheering while a player lays motionless on the ice

The moment of concern came when Kevin Rooney was taken out early in the opening game of the Calgary Flames due to an injury against the Vancouver Canucks. With just 7:44 into the action, Rooney misplayed the puck in his own zone. Canucks forward JT Miller capitalized on the turnover and hit Rooney, who went awkwardly into the boards.

While Rooney was still down and lying on the ice, medical staff quickly attended to him. A few players fought briefly while Rooney was being tended to. A stretcher was called out for Rooney initially, but thankfully he was able to skate off the ice under his own power. The Flames would update that Rooney would not return to the game as he was continuing to be evaluated. Prior to the injury, Rooney had played just over a minute of ice time in two shifts. Vancouver Canucks fans were chanting JT Miller's name while Rooney lay motionless on the ice, leading many to call them disrespectful for their untimely actions.

The first period of the tilt between the Flames and Canucks was incredibly physical, especially after the hit on Rooney. The Flames players focused their efforts moving forward on Miller, who saw things boil over for the remainder of the period. Miller finally dropped the gloves with Anthony Mantha, making his Flames debut, as the teams continued their scrappy battle.

This injury represents the second year in a row Rooney has taken an unlucky break in the month of October. Last preseason, Rooney suffered an upper-body injury in training camp that kept him out until February. He did play 33 games during the 2023-24 season, posting four points. Rooney has been with the Flames since inking a two-year deal back in July of 2022 and extended for an additional year last March with a $1.3 million cap hit.

Now in his ninth season of pro hockey, Rooney has played with the New Jersey Devils from 2017 to now, with time spent with the New York Rangers, with whom he played a career-high 61 games in 2021-22. Rooney continues to be a dependable, serviceable depth player. He has collected 27 goals, and 23 assists in 261 games played in the NHL, adding to the Rangers in their 2022 Eastern Conference Finals run.

This early season exit by Rooney from the season opener against the Flames is very discouraging, considering his injury history. The complete extent of his injury is yet to be determined, but all the Flames can hope for is a quick recovery with the long season ahead. Rooney still features prominently as one of the older statesmen on the team and will prove worth the experience when he returns to full health.