Ryan Lindgren ejected as Bouchard posts 6 points in 7 games
Ryan Lindgren’s hit to the head got him ejected, but the bigger Canadian takeaway was Evan Bouchard’s six points in seven games at the 2026 IIHF World Championship. Bouchard led Canada’s blue line in the preliminary round after being left off Hockey Canada’s 2026 Winter Olympic roster on New Year’s Eve.
Bouchard Leads Canada
Through the preliminary round, Bouchard posted a plus-11 rating and logged the most ice time on Canada’s blue line. He arrived at the senior level as a first-timer for Canada and handled the role without easing into it.
His production came with weight behind it. Bouchard scored his first senior goal for Canada against Italy on a power play in the second period, then added three assists in Canada’s 6-5 overtime win over Norway. Against Norway, he played nearly 27 minutes and fired five shots on goal.
Canada’s Olympic Omission
The friction point is clear in the roster history. Hockey Canada also left Bouchard off the 4 Nations Face-Off team last year, and the Olympic omission came after a 2025-26 NHL regular season in which he finished with 95 points in 82 games, including 21 goals and 74 assists.
He led every NHL defenceman in scoring by 14 points, finished with a plus-25 rating and averaged over 24 minutes of ice time per night. Only nine defencemen in NHL history have scored more points in a season than Bouchard did this year, and he became the first defenceman in five years to lead the position in scoring without earning a Norris Trophy finalist nod. “Must say, the maple leaf looks good on him.”
Zurich Medal Round
Canada’s run in Zurich moved toward the semifinals scheduled for May 30, with the bronze and gold medal games set for May 31. Canada went to Italy without Bouchard, but his Worlds work kept him at the center of the conversation after the preliminary round ended.
“The criticism that has followed him throughout his career that he gives too much back, that the risk outweighs the reward, has been nowhere to be found in Switzerland.” “It seems the hockey scene keeps finding reasons to look past him.”
