Bruins Prospects: Jakub Lauko Suffers MCL Injury In WJC

UPDATE (1:02 PM): As per Vaclav Varada, Lauko has suffered a MCL injury. “From the first prognosis from the doctor that will keep Jakub Lauko out of the tournament. But will do a MRI tomorrow so we’ll see.”

The 2020 World Junior Championship is officially underway. Unfortunately for the Boston Bruins, it took only 53 seconds for bad news to emerge from the Czech Republic. One of the top Bruins prospects, Jakub Lauko, went down with an apparent right leg injury under a minute into the opening game of the tournament.

Lauko, the 77th overall pick in 2018, is representing his native Czech Republic on home soil. He was injured in a collision at center ice. Lauko was initially clipped by a Russian forward, then went down in a heap as he was hit. Lauko’s right leg and head appeared to take the worst of the hit.

Lauko is not expected to return to today’s contest. His status for the rest of the tournament is not known at this time. An update is likely to come following the conclusion of the Czech Republic’s first game against Russia.

Stay tuned to Boston Hockey Now for up to the minute details as they emerge from Europe.

Lauko is in his first professional season in North America, playing in the AHL with the Providence Bruins. In 18 AHL games, he has registered eight points (4 g, 4 a). Lauko has also collected 20 penalty minutes and is a +4. He appeared in five games at the 2019 World Junior Championship in Canada, collecting two points (1 g, 1 a).

This is the third World Junior Championship that Lauko has played in. He also was part of the Czech roster for the 2018 event, where he scored one goal in six games. Lauko is one of a number of Bruins prospects at the event.

Bruins prospect Jakub Lauko injures his leg 53 seconds into the WJC pic.twitter.com/KDxLWZjMK5

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) December 26, 2019