Ilya Mikheyev won’t play for the rest of the season for the Vancouver Canucks due to an ACL injury and will undergo surgery. The news was announced following the team’s 5-2 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Rogers Arena on Friday.
Ilya Mikheyev stated that he partially tore his ACL in his debut preseason game for the Canucks versus the Calgary Flames on Sept. 25. After being hit into the boards at 4:17 in the second period, he left the game and was initially declared out for a few weeks with a lower-body injury. He missed the first three games of the regular season before coming back on Oct. 18 against Columbus.
“When I was injured in the preseason, I went through several tests and realized I could play without causing any more damage,” Mikheyev said on Twitter on Saturday. “That’s what I wanted to do. Twice per week, we consulted with team doctors about how things were progressing. Never did I feel pressure, never did I feel worse. It was my decision. Finally it reached a point where I wanted to be ready on time for next year.”
Despite his injury, Mikheyev continued to play wearing a brace and recorded 28 points (13 goals and 15 assists) in 46 games. He aims to be back and ready for the start of next season. Mikheyev signed a 4-year contract with Vancouver on July 13, 2022, and was playing his first season with the team. Last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he had 32 points (21 goals and 11 assists) in 53 regular-season games and added 4 points (2 goals and 2 assists) in 7 playoff games. In total, Mikheyev has 100 points (49 goals and 51 assists) in 192 games split between the Canucks and Maple Leafs.
