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Brock Boeser returns to Da Beauty League starting Wednesday, July 11

Four months ago, fans felt their hearts sink into their stomachs as they watched the Canucks’ star rookie lay on the ice in agony, clutching at his back.
Brock Boeser with his sister at Da Beauty League.
Brock Boeser with his sister at Da Beauty League, 2017.

Four months ago, fans felt their hearts sink into their stomachs as they watched the Canucks’ star rookie lay on the ice in agony, clutching at his back. Brock Boeser, looking to hit Cal Clutterbuck in the neutral zone, instead got flung into the open bench door, suffering a fracture of the transverse process of one of his vertebrae.

As broken backs go, it could have been a lot worse, but it still knocked Boeser out for the rest of the season, robbing him of any chance to compete for the Calder Trophy and robbing fans of the entertainment value of watching him play.

Fortunately, Canucks fans don’t have to wait until next season to see Boeser back in action. Boeser will once again play in Da Beauty League, a Minnesota summer hockey league that features many current NHLers and college players with ties to the Minnesota area.

In fact, Boeser will be one of the team captains this year, along with Dustin Byfuglien, Erik Haula, Jake Guentzel, Anders Lee, and Alex Goligoski.

The league runs every Wednesday through July, then every Monday and Wednesday in August, with three games every night. It kicks off this Wednesday, July 11th, with the three games at 5:30 pm, 6:45 pm, and 8:00 pm, Central Time. That works out to 3:30, 4:45, and 6:00 Pacific.

Each game night is $10, so it’s a cheap way for families to get up close to NHL stars to see them in person.

Most importantly for Canucks fans, the games will be livestreamed on the Da Beauty League website, so you can see just how well Boeser is doing in his injury recovery and training.

While the team rosters haven’t been released yet, Boeser should have some talented players at his side. Besides the team captains, other NHL players confirmed for the summer league include Nick Bjugstad, Zach Bogosian, Justin Braun, Jake Gardiner, Matt Hendricks, Paul Martin, Ryan McDonagh, Brock Nelson, Tyler Pitlick, Nate Prosser, Brady Skjei, and James Van Riemsdyk. Sabres super prospect (and Minnesota high school hockey star) Casey Mittelstadt will also play in the league.

Games are played 4-on-4, with plenty of space on the ice for some free-flowing play and occasional fancy moves. Boeser pulled off a few of those moves himself last year, scoring 8 goals and 14 points in 7 games, tied for 13th in Da Beauty League. Guentzel led the way with a whopping 11 goals and 23 points in 7 games.

 

 

This year, leading his own team, Boeser will likely have to carry even more of the offensive load in the high-scoring league, so you can expect even more Boeser goals. At least, assuming his shot is back in form after he needed a plasma injection in his wrist after his season ended.

Since Da Beauty League features so many NHLers and elite college players, it's more competitive than your typical summer league, even if the final prize, the John Scott Cup, is made out of a keg like a classic beer league. The crowds that come to watch in person also fuel the competitive nature of the players.

So, if you can’t wait for hockey to return, you can still watch Boeser all July and August.