Vancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua has announced he is recovering from testicular cancer.
In a statement shared by the team on Tuesday, Joshua wrote that doctors discovered a lump earlier this summer and were successfully able to remove the tumour.
The 28-year-old from Dearborn, Mich., said he plans on returning to play “as soon as possible” and is “working hard every day” to rejoin his teammates.
The statement adds that Joshua will miss the start of training camp and did not give a specific timeline for his return to the ice.
“The last several weeks have been extremely challenging, and I’ve been fortunate to have the support of my family, friends, teammate and doctors,” Joshua wrote.
The six-foot-three, 206-pound forward had a career-high 18 goals and 14 assists in 63 games for the Canucks last season and signed a new four-year, US$13-million deal with Vancouver at the end of June.
The Canucks are set to open their training camp in Penticton, B.C., on Thursday.
— With files from the Canadian Press