Reason for Cole McWard's absence from the Young Stars Classic has been revealed

The reason for defenceman Cole McWard's absence from rookie camp and the upcoming Young Stars Classic has been revealed.

Tomorrow, the 2024 Young Stars Classic will get underway from Penticton, British Columbia and earlier this week, the Vancouver Canucks released their roster for the event with a couple of notable names missing - Cole McWard and Jett Woo.

Cole McWard's absence was tough to see for Canucks fans who were hoping he'd be on the ice in Penticton, but the reason why he hasn't been named to the roster has been revealed by Abbotsford General Manager Ryan Johnson.

Johnson told reporters on Thursday that is dealing with an undisclosed minor injury that's nagging him and as a precaution, they didn't want to push him at the Young Stars Classic over the weekend.

When asked about Jett Woo, Johnson added that there wasn't much of a reason to bring him to the Young Stars Classic and that it's a promotion of sorts to main camp with Vancouver beginning next Thursday.

Woo, who turned 24 in the summer, took a step forward in his development last season, registering 31 points in 62 games and bringing him to rookie camp wouldn't make a whole lot of sense, which is why they've told him to focus on main camp and to make a push for the Canucks' roster.

McWard, 23, is set to enter his second full season of professional hockey in 2024-25 and will likely play a bigger role on the blue line with the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks. In 57 games last season, the Fenton, Missouri native had 17 points (four goals, 13 assists), 16 penalty minutes and was a plus-five.

Hopefully for the Canucks, McWard's injury won't keep him on the sidelines for too long and he'll be able to participate in training camp and preseason games over the next few weeks.

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