Kirby Dach Injury: Montreal Forward Exits After Jeffrey Viel High Hit

Montreal forward Kirby Dach left Sunday's game against the Anaheim Ducks following an upper-body injury sustained from a high hit by Jeffrey Viel.

Montreal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach suffered an upper-body injury and was forced to exit Sunday night's game against the Anaheim Ducks. The incident occurred exactly three minutes into the first period in the Anaheim defensive zone. Winger Jeffrey Viel delivered a high hit to the unsuspecting Dach immediately after the Montreal forward attempted to swat at the puck with his arm. Dach missed the puck before the contact occurred, which sent him crashing to the ice.

Following the collision, Dach remained on the surface with his face buried in his gloves. He eventually rose and made his way gingerly to the Montreal bench before retreating to the dressing room for the remainder of the contest. Despite the nature of the contact, officials on the ice did not assess a penalty to Viel for the hit. This Kirby Dach injury left the Canadiens without a key offensive contributor for the majority of the matchup at the Bell Centre.

Retaliation Attempts and Physical Response

The non-call on the Viel hit led to increased tensions throughout the opening frame. Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj and veteran forward Josh Anderson both approached the Anaheim winger later in the first period to address the play. On multiple occasions, Montreal players appeared to request a fight to answer for the hit on their teammate. However, Viel declined these invitations, and no physical altercation took place between the parties during those specific exchanges.

Recent Discipline and Injury Context in Anaheim

This physical play comes during a volatile stretch for the Ducks' roster. Just three days prior to the Montreal game, Anaheim defenseman Radko Gudas was involved in a significant incident that ended the season of Toronto captain Auston Matthews. Gudas delivered a knee-on-knee hit that resulted in a torn medial collateral ligament (MCL) in Matthews' left knee.

Unlike the hit on Dach, the league took swift disciplinary action against Gudas. The defenseman received a five-game suspension from the Department of Player Safety, which represents the maximum penalty allowed for a hearing conducted via telephone. Gudas was also assessed a major penalty and an automatic game misconduct for kneeing during that previous contest.

Impact on Montreal Lineup

The loss of Dach creates immediate tactical challenges for the Canadiens' coaching staff. With the forward sidelined by an upper-body ailment, the team had to adjust its rotation for the final two periods of play. The severity of the Kirby Dach injury remains under evaluation following his early departure. The Ducks entered this matchup following the fallout of the Matthews incident, maintaining a physical presence that has now impacted two different Atlantic Division opponents within a single week of play.