Dakota Joshua recovering from cancer

Vancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua revealed Tuesday he underwent cancer treatment over the summer, and will not be ready to play when the team’s training camp begins later this week.

In a statement shared by the Canucks, Joshua said he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and underwent surgery to remove a tumour.

“The last several weeks have been extremely challenging and I’ve been fortunate to have the support of my family, friends, teammates and doctors,” he wrote.

The 28-year-old, who became a fan favourite over the course of last year’s season, said he plans on returning to the game as soon as possible and is “working hard every day” to reunite with the team.

“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,” Joshua said.

The Michigan native asked fans to respect his privacy and said the Canucks will provide updates when appropriate. 

This is a developing story and will be updated.