A little under two months since he announced a testicular cancer diagnosis, Dakota Joshua is ready to return to the Vancouver Canucks lineup. The diagnosis kept Joshua out of the entire Canucks training camp, preseason and start of the regular season, but he’s ready to suit up for his season debut.
The Canucks have seen Joshua working his way back to full health and get up to speed over the last few weeks, and it’s officially time for him to hit the ice for game action.
Head coach Rick Tocchet said that adding Joshua to the lineup is like making a big trade.
“We’re really excited to have him back,” Tocchet said. “He’s gone through a lot of stuff and I’ve loved the way he’s dealt with it. We’re just happy for him.”
More than just another great player on the ice in the Canucks lineup, Joshua’s return and presence in the locker room will certainly bring a boost in morale.
“He’s a well-liked kid, he’s turned into a leader,” Tocchet said. “It’s a major thing for us right now.”
Joshua is excited for his return, knowing it was a long time coming, but he knew some extra work would have to be put in before he could hit the ice.
“Just physically making sure you’re ready,” Joshua said. “You don’t really know until you get out there, so we’ll see what we got.”
Joshua’s plan is to get involved right away and maybe inch his way into the hits leader conversation, despite being at a 14-game disadvantage.
“You got to get physically engaged early,” Joshua said. “Kiefer [Sherwood] does have quite a head start on me, but I’ll see what I can do.”
Joshua’s teammate Sherwood currently leads the NHL in hits with 87; Joshua led the Canucks last season with 245 and was ninth in the NHL. Sherwood, a member of the Nashville Predators at the time, finished at No. 15 with 234.
In 184 career games, Joshua has 33 goals and 31 assists for 64 total points and 567 hits.
The Canucks are getting a crucial and gritty piece back into their lineup after a frightening diagnosis in mid-September. Joshua is back to 100% and looking forward to his chance to contribute.
