Vancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua is out indefinitely after he revealed Tuesday that he was diagnosed with testicular cancer this summer and is currently in recovery following a successful surgery to remove the tumor.
Joshua, 28, made the announcement in a statement via the team’s social media.
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"This summer, I felt a lump on one of my testacles that doctors would later diagnose as testicular cancer. This news was obviously scary to hear, but thankfully, doctors were able to successfully remove the tumor," his statement read.
"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 re-join my teammates."
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"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," he added.
Joshua is entering his second season with the Canucks, where he had a career-high 18 goals and 14 assists in 63 games. He also had four goals and four assists in the Canucks' playoff run that ended in the second round against the Edmonton Oilers.
After a big season, Joshua signed a four-year, $13 million extension in June.
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