Vancouver Canucks forward David Booth will undergo surgery on his injured ankle and miss the remainder of the regular season.
“He was going to have surgery (Friday) and hopefully that will accelerate the (healing) process some measure and then he’ll have to wait and rehab like anybody else,” Canucks general manager Mike Gillis told Vancouver radio station Team 1040 Friday.
Booth was placed on injured reserve earlier this week with a sprained ankle and did not accompany the team on their current road trip, which began Thursday with a 2-1 win over the Phoenix Coyotes.
Gillis added that “there’s a chance” Booth could return sometime in the playoffs.
Booth has played just 12 games this season, registering one goal, three assists and four penalty minutes.
The 28-year-old Detroit native referenced his surgery on Twitter Friday, while also poking fun at the current NCAA March Madness collegiate basketball tournament.
Booth has been injured many times throughout his NHL career, including at the start of this season with a groin injury. Last season he only played 56 games while dealing with a sprained right knee as well as other bumps and bruises, plus he sat out the majority of the 2009-10 season after suffering a severe concussion.
The Canucks currently sit in fifth place in the Western Conference and visit the Los Angeles Kings Saturday.
