LATEST | Canucks forward levelled by massive hit in KHL game

On Tuesday, Vancouver Canucks forward Vitali Kravtsov and his team, Traktor Chelyabinsk, were taking on Lada Togliatti, who returned to the KHL this season for the first time since 2018.

During the game, Kravtsov was caught with his head down going through the middle of the ice with the puck before leveled by a massive hit from Lada Togliatti defenceman Maxim Berezin.

Kravy got leveled, oof pic.twitter.com/HDdDT8AY8v— KHL (@khl_eng) September 12, 2023

The 23-year-old Kravtsov was traded to the Canucks on February 25th by the New York Rangers, who drafted him 9th overall in 2018, in exchange for Will Lockwood and a 2026 seventh round pick.

Kravtsov went on to appear in 16 games for the Canucks down the stretch where he recorded two points (one goal, one assist), four penalty minutes and was a minus-three. At the end of the season, Kravtsov became a restricted free agent and the Canucks issued him a qualifying offer to retain his rights.

One month prior, he signed a two-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk, so he won't be able to return to Vancouver until the 2025-26 season, if he decides to come back to North America.