ELMONT, NY — New York Islanders star center Bo Horvat will be sidelined for the next four to six weeks after suffering an ankle injury with Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships last week.
Horvat flew back to Long Island, missing the remainder of the tournament, to undergo further testing. According to new general manager Mathieu Darche, the results came back as a best-case scenario.
“He has a little ankle injury. Nothing serious, four to six weeks,” Darche said during his introductory press conference when asked by amNewYork. “He’s already rehabbing, so there’s nothing serious in that. There’s no concern whatsoever. It’s the type of thing that maybe in the playoffs, he would’ve tried because I think Bo is the kind of player where you have to tell him you’er not playing, because he’s going to try and say ‘Oh, I’m not hurt,’ and he’d probably try to play through everything. But no. No concerns with that injury.”
In six games with Team Canada, Horvat recorded four goals and four assists (eight points) and was a vital cog in their power play, exhibiting what he can do with a prominent supporting cast around him.
“He played outstanding,” Darche said. “We had rave reviews from the staff over there.”
The 2024-25 season was a challenging one for Horvat, who led the Islanders with 28 goals. However, it was his fewest in a single season since 2020-21. He scored 33 goals in his first full season in New York after being acquired from the Vancouver Cancucks midway through the 2022-23 season.
His numbers are in line for a boost. Not only will his linemate Mathew Barzal be healthy, but Darche is going to hammer home a new offensive mentality for a franchise that has been predicated on defense for the last seven years.
“I want to see a fast-paced team,” Darche said. “Playing defensive and defending are two different things. We want to attack. There’s nothing worse than a team that comes at you all the time. There are a lot of good players on this team.”
