The Oromocto Senators released what can only be described as the hockey equivalent of a horror movie update on Thursday morning, confirming that 24-year-old forward Hendrix Lapierre is out indefinitely after suffering yet another injury in what has become a brutally cursed rookie campaign.
And somehow, unbelievably, there wasn’t even a penalty on the play.
According to multiple players on the ice, the incident happened midway through the second period during what initially looked like a harmless race into the corner. Lapierre chased down a loose puck, planted awkwardly near the boards, and immediately collapsed in a heap that one teammate described as “looking like a folding lawn chair getting struck by lightning.”
Medical staff rushed out while the crowd inside the arena went silent, except for one fan who reportedly yelled, “NOT AGAIN!” with the emotional stability of a man watching his favourite dog attempt to drive a car into a lake.
The team later confirmed Lapierre suffered severe ligament damage in his knee along with a partially separated shoulder after crashing shoulder-first into the boards and twisting awkwardly underneath another player during the fall. The collision was clean. Technically. In the same way a meteor hitting your garage is technically weather.
What makes the situation even uglier is the condition to Lapierre’s health.
That is no longer “day-to-day.” That is “held together with sports tape, determination, and the haunted spirit of an old Zamboni.”
This was supposed to be Lapierre’s breakout year. The Senators believed the talented young forward would add speed, creativity, and offensive depth to the lineup. Instead, the poor guy has spent more time being examined by team doctors than opposing goaltenders.
General Manager Trent Gallant addressed the media shortly after the announcement and, while remaining professional, looked like a man who had just opened his electric bill while standing in floodwater.
“At this point we’re going to evaluate our options internally,” Gallant said. “We need somebody who can step into that role while Hendrix recovers. Right now the focus is making sure he gets healthy.”
Healthy may take a while.
Sources close to the team say Lapierre’s stall in the locker room now resembles a small pharmacy mixed with a medieval recovery chamber. Ice packs, braces, wraps, heating pads, recovery bands, and what appeared to be an old priest standing nearby with holy water were reportedly all visible following the game.
Veteran players have tried keeping the mood light around the room despite the brutal setback. One unnamed teammate joked that Lapierre now has the durability of a gas station hot dog left rotating under fluorescent lights for six consecutive hours.
Another player reportedly suggested wrapping him entirely in bubble wrap before allowing him back onto the ice again.
Humour aside, the injury creates a major problem for the Senators moving forward. The club has already battled inconsistency this season, and losing a skilled young player indefinitely forces management into difficult decisions earlier than expected. The organization will now spend the coming days evaluating who can handle the workload.
For Lapierre, though, the story is less about roster moves and more about surviving one of the roughest first seasons imaginable.
At 24 years old, he still has plenty of time to recover and rebuild his career. But right now, the Senators can only watch and wait.
And somewhere in Oromocto, the team trainer is probably staring into the distance wondering if the arena was secretly built on an ancient burial ground.
5/7/2026 - 559 words
