Vancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua diagnosed with cancer

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Liam McCormick
September 17, 2024 (3:08 PM)

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Moments ago, news broke that Vancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua has been diagnosed with cancer.

The Canucks released a statement from Joshua on social media. Joshua himself revealed his diagnosis of testicular cancer, and that he would miss the beginning of training camp as he recovers from surgery.

»This summer, I felt a lump on one of my testicles that doctors would later diagnose as testicular cancer. This news was obviously scary to hear, but thankfully, doctors were able to successfully remove the 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.»
- Dakota Joshua

Now 28 years old, Joshua had just recently begun to really break into the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks. He was drafted in the fifth round by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2014, and battled through the St. Louis Blues AHL system before earning his opportunity with the Canucks.

The last two years Joshua has become a fan favourite in Vancouver and has made a name for himself across the league as a very effective 200 foot player. In 63 games last season, Joshua scored an impressive 18 goals and 32 points in bottom six minutes. Earlier this offseason, the Canucks re-signed him to a four year contract worth $3.25M a year.

It's extremely unfortunate to hear him have this setback just as it looked like he was breaking through on the ice. Joshua's statement seems to indicate that while he won't be ready for training camp, he may not be far behind. Thankfully his medical situation seems to be improving, and now all hockey fans will be really cheering for him when he makes his return.

Source for Dakota Joshua Stats: PuckPedia - Dakota Joshua