Marco Kasper ruled out of World Cham­pi­onship

“First and foremost, I feel sorry for Marco that, after his outstanding NHL debut, he cannot see out the season. It is of course a great shame for the national team, but unfortunately that is part of the sport and not uncommon. We wish him a good and speedy recovery,” says Team coach Roger Bader.

After Marco Kasper and Rögle were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Swedish league, the Detroit Red Wings immediately sent him to North America. The No. eight pick in the 2022 NHL Draft did not yet feature against the Winnipeg Jets due to a minor injury. However, his debut followed shortly afterwards and proved a resounding success with the 5:2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Kasper was again sidelined through injury for the 5:0 win over the Montreal Canadiens. An X-ray has now identified the cause and, as has now become known, the centre played around 50 minutes of his debut with a fractured kneecap, says Marco Kasper: “Looking back, that is a little crazy. I felt pain during the game, but I thought I had to grit my teeth and finish the game.”

According to initial reports, the centre will be out for around six weeks. A silver lining: he will not require surgery, as nothing has shifted and it is not a comminuted fracture.

Marco Kasper: “Under the circumstances, I am OK. The knee naturally hurts and it is a shame that I cannot finish the season and, on top of that, will miss the World Championship.”