2 days Ago By Joseph McBride
Vancouver Canucks center Dakota Joshua announced Tuesday that he won't be ready to start after being . The 28-year-old underwent surgery during the offseason to remove a cancerous lump on his testicle, after discovering it this summer. In a statement released by , Joshua bravely stated his current situation and opened up about the recovery process.
"This summer, I felt a lump on one of my testicles that doctors would later diagnose as testicular cancer," Joshua said in the statement "This news was obviously scary to hear, but thankfully, doctors were able to successfully remove the tumor. "The last several weeks have been extremely challenging and I've been fortunate to have the support of my family, friends, teammates, and doctors. Unfortunately, I will not be ready for the start of training camp as I continue to heal from surgery.
"I plan on returning to play as soon as possible this season and I am working hard every day [to] re-join my teammates. Although it was very difficult to face the reality of this specific type of cancer, getting checked by a doctor quickly was the best approach and I encourage men to get checked regularly for testicular cancer. "As I continue with my recovery, I thank everyone in advance for respecting my privacy concerning this matter.
The team will provide updates as appropriate. In the meantime, I thank everyone for their support and understanding." Joshua is coming off the back of a career year in the NHL, scoring 18 goals and recording 14 assists in 63 games for the Canucks.
The 28-year-old has had to work hard for his chance at the top level and earned a four-year, $13 million contract extension with Vancouver this offseason. The center was initially picked in the fifth round (128th overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs and was completely unaware of the situation. Joshua had no idea that he was going to be drafted and received a phone call from Toronto's management team while sitting in a car.
Joshua never played for the Leafs and represented Ohio State University before navigating his way through the AHL and ECHL. Eventually, Joshua was given an NHL opportunity by the St. Louis Blues, and emotionally said after making his debut in 2021: "To play in the National Hockey League is the biggest honor you can have in the sport of hockey.
" The Blues later released Joshua and he relocated to Vancouver after signing a two-year, $1.65 million contract with the Canucks on July 13, 2022. Joshua has been improving ever since and become a popular player on the Canucks, leading to his major extension after years of hard work.
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