Guelph’s Chadd Bauman ejected after knee-on-knee hit to Foreurs’ Guillaume Gelinas

The Val-d'Or Foreurs would have a tough enough time getting to Sunday's MasterCard Memorial Cup final now that they'll have to play at least a semifinal game, but they'll also have to do it in all likelihood without their top defenceman Guillaume Gelinas.

Gelinas, the highest-scoring blueliner in the Q this season, was on the wrong side of a knee-on-knee collision delivered by Guelph Storm defenceman Chadd Bauman. Bauman was given five and a game, which was the appropriate call given the severity of the hit:

Gelinas, it goes without saying, did not return to the game. The Foreurs have yet to issue an update on his status but he shouldn't be expected to play in Val-d'Or's next game Tuesday night.

UPDATE — Good news for Val-d'Or. The injury doesn't sound too serious. Head coach Mario Durocher told reporters in the post game press conference that he'll talk to Gelinas Tuesday morning about his status for the game. He also said "the CHL will take care of that" in reference to Bauman's hit.

Bauman should face supplemental discipline. It was difficult watching Gelinas attempt to crawl to the bench after the hit was delivered, made worse by the fact that the game was already out of hand. Guelph, who won the game 6-3, were up 6-2 at the time and about the only thing that could bring the Foreurs back into the game would have been a couple of goals on a five-minute man advantage.

So far, Bauman has seen very little ice time during the tournament and, with just two games to go in Guelph's season, now that the Storm have clinched a berth in Sunday's final, the egregious collision will be his last memory of the 2013-14 season. Walker told reporters that Bauman "is not a dirty hockey player. He checks hard, he's a good kid."

Walker also said of Bauman, who played just 1:15 Monday night and 3:34 in Guelph's opener Saturday, that "I don’t think [he's] ever been a five-minute penalty guy except when he fights" which is true, though Bauman has straddled the line in the past.

Val-d'Or will have a tough time regrouping ahead of Tuesday's game against Edmonton. Should London manage to defeat Guelph Wednesday, the loser of the fifth round robin game between the Foreurs and Oil Kings would be sent to a tiebreaker. The Foreurs played six defencemen for the majority of the postseason, with rookie Keven Larouche as the extra man.

Offence is a concern for Val-d'Or through the first two games: they managed a single goal against London and their top line with Anthony Mantha was invisible Monday night against Guelph. If Gelinas can't go, the Foreurs will lose one of their few offensive weapons. He scored 92 points during the regular season and had 34 in 24 playoff games. Despite being held to a single assist during the tournament, he nonetheless impressed with his skating ability and a hard hit on Guelph's Robby Fabbri in the first period of the Monday contest.