Gabriel Vilardi livid at former teammate for controversial hit leading to lengthy injury

Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi recently blew a fuse on his former teammate Blake Lizotte for the hit that resulted in him being sidelined for an extended period due to an MCL injury.

Vilardi has not featured for the Winnipeg Jets since Oct. 17, when he was injured by an awkward hit from the Kings' forward Lizotte to his shins along the boards.

The hit resulted in an injury that kept Gabriel Vilardi out for six weeks. However, he has since recovered well and is ready to return to action after a lengthy period of absence.

Vilardi took part in the Jets' practice on Wednesday, ahead of their upcoming matchup, but will be a game-time decision ahead of the Jets' clash against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.

The 24-year-old forward spoke to the media about his injury and vented his displeasure at his former teammate Blake Lizotte, claiming that his antics were not the result of an unforeseen occurrence.

Here's what he said:

"Personally, I think it’s a play that doesn’t need to happen,” Vilardi told reporters after Wednesday’s practice. “But what am I supposed to do now?"

Notably, Vilardi and Lizzote were teammates for the LA Kings for four seasons. The 24-year-old recalled his time playing with Lizotte and added that he had been involved in such events several times:

"I’ve played with (Lizotte) a lot. He’s done a lot of little things like that. It’s stuff that you guys say, ‘It was an awkward fall.’ It’s not an awkward fall. It’s someone pushing your feet out from the back, my knee gets caught under me and then he tackles me. It’s that simple."

The Jets forward also cknowledged that the hit from Lizotte was not intentional, but labeled it as a "stupid play,' which could have ended Vilardi's season:

“I was pretty close to being gone for the rest of the season, so it’s frustrating to look at stuff like that and think about it,” Vilardi said. “Obviously, I don’t think his intent was to hurt me, but you make plays like that, it’s a stupid play — and it’s frustrating to think that guy sits in the box for two minutes and then I have to deal with what I’ve dealt with for the past month and a half.”

Gabriel Vilardi's career stats

Winnipeg Jets v Calgary Flames

Gabriel Vilardi began his NHL career after the LA Kings drafted him with the 11th overall pick in the 2017 draft. He made his league debut in the 2019-20 season and went on to play for four years with the team.

In June of this year, he was dealt to the Winnipeg Jets by the Kings alongside Rasmus Kupari, Alex Iafallo, and a 2024 2nd-round draft pick for Pierre-Luc Dubois. The 24-year-old has appeared only in three games for the Jets this season.

Overall, Gabriel Vilardi has played 155 games, notching up 78 points via through 41 goals and 37 assists in his five-year career.