NHL’s Emil Heineman Hit By Car While Walking in Salt Lake City

Montreal Canadiens forward Emil Heineman will be out of action for at least three, possibly four weeks after he was hit by a car while walking in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Heineman, 23, was struck by a vehicle at 2:55 p.m. local time on Monday, January 13, according to a statement from the Salt Lake City Police Department. 

Salt Lake PD said Heineman “did not show any signs of serious injuries and was being attended to by team doctors.” He had left the area where the incident occurred before authorities arrived on the scene, but was later identified  when officers learned that the pedestrian involved was “a Montreal Canadiens hockey team player.”

Heineman was walking from practice back to the team hotel at the time, which was about two blocks away from the scene. 

All parties in the incident were eventually identified and the investigation remains ongoing. 

Heineman and the Canadiens were in Salt Lake City for the team’s game on Tuesday, January 14 against the Utah Hockey Club. Heineman was not listed in the lineup and the team announced the forward is expected to miss up to a month due to the injuries he sustained as a result of the incident.

“Emil is doing well,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis told The Athletic. “It’s unlucky, especially considering the way Emil plays — he doesn’t play with white gloves — and he gets injured walking down the street. It’s bizarre.”

St. Louis, 49, joked, “But it sounds like the car was totaled.”

“It’s just tough,” Heineman’s linemate Jake Evans told The Athletic. “He was playing great hockey, a lot of confidence and helping our team out a lot. I think that’s just the toughest part, losing a great player and a great guy in the room.”

Heineman took to social media on Wednesday, January 15 to express his gratitude for fans’ well wishes.

“Thanks everyone for the love and support lately,” he posted via his Instagram Story. “I’ll be back stronger ❤️ #gohabsgo”

A first-year player born in Leksand, Sweden, the rookie was third in the NHL rookie goal scoring with 11 this season, behind  the San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini and the Philadelphia Flyers’ Matvei Michkov. 

Heineman was drafted in the second round by the Florida Panthers in the 2020 NHL Draft. His rights were traded to the Calgary Flames in  April 2021, sending Sam Bennett to the Panthers. 

He was then traded to the Canadiens in an April 2022 deal that sent Tyler Toffoli to the Flames.