Dakota Joshua, a forward for the Vancouver Canucks and former Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick, revealed that he was diagnosed with testicular cancer over the summer. Joshua then underwent successful surgery to remove a cancerous tumor and is now recuperating and healing.
The 28-year-old winger shared his health scare and recovery in a statement shared by the Canucks on social media.
This summer, I felt a lump on one of my testacles that doctors would later diagnose as testicular cancer. This news was obviously scary to hear, but thankfully, doctors were able to successfully remove the tumor. The last several weeks have been extremely challenging and I’ve been fortunate to have the support of my family, friends, teammates, and doctors.
Unfortunately, I will not be ready for the start of training camp as I continue to heal from surgery. I plan on returning to play as soon as possible this season and I am working hard every day to re-join my teammates.
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. As I continue with my recovery, I thank everyone in advance for respecting my privacy concerning this matter. The team will provide updates as appropriate. in the meantime, I thank everyone for their support and understanding.
Unfortunately, Joshua says his recovery process will keep him out of Vancouver’s lineup to start the season. He states that the team will provide further updates on his status in the future.
Joshua has been with the Canucks since the 2022 offseason when he signed a two-year, $1.65 million contract with the club. He recorded career-highs in goals, assists, and points last season with Vancouver, posting 32 points (18g, 14a) in 63 games. He also chipped in eight points (4g, 4a) in 13 postseason games and then signed a four-year, $13 million contract extension to remain with the team this summer.
Before arriving in Vancouver, Joshua also played parts of two seasons with the St. Louis Blues, getting into 42 games. The Maple Leafs traded him to the Blues in 2019.
Per the American Cancer Society, as Joshua indicates, early detection of testicular cancer allows for more treatment options and keeps the cancer from spreading to other parts of your body. Most of the time, like in Joshua’s case, a lump on the testicle is the first symptom, or the testicle might be swollen or larger than normal.
Doctors recommend that all men examine their testicles monthly after puberty, especially if they have certain risk factors that increase their chance of developing testicular cancer, like a family history of the disease.
All of us at RMNB wish Dakota the best and hope to see him scoring goals for the Canucks this season.
