Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Manny Malhotra speaks out after eye surgery

Manny Malhotra, Ryan McDonagh

New York Rangers’ Ryan McDonagh, front left, fights for control of the puck with Vancouver Canucks’ Manny Malhotra, front right, during the first period of an NHL hockey game on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2011, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

AP

While the Canucks are the Presidents’ Trophy winners and the top seeded team overall in the Stanley Cup playoffs, they’re going to be a little weaker up the middle without the help of Manny Malhotra. Malhotra has been a rock solid contributor on Vancouver’s third line and his steady defensive play gave them an advantage to match up against other team’s top lines.

Malhotra is out for the rest of the season and the playoffs after taking a puck in the eye, an injury that’s required surgery to repair so that he would be able to hopefully not lose sight from his eye. Even Malhotra’s brother-in-law and Phoenix Suns superstar Steve Nash spoke up to wish him well and hope for the best in his surgery.

Today, Malhotra released a statement through the Canucks website to say that while his recovery time will be long, he’s hopeful that things will turn for the best.

“I will forever be grateful to the incredible group of surgeons both in Vancouver and New York who performed two successful surgeries, to restore the vision in my eye. Although there is a lot of recovery and healing to take place, I am very optimistic for a good outcome.”

It’s great to hear from Malhotra so soon after such a delicate and career-threatening process. While we’re rooting for a quick recovery for him and one that will allow him to continue his career, we’re curious how the Canucks will handle the playoffs without him for the long haul. Malhotra’s play has been outstanding this year and his name was in the mix for the Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward.

We just hope that Malhotra’s speedy recovery won’t deter the league from looking into helping make visors mandatory for players in the future. Lightning GM Steve Yzerman took a bold step by asking that his players all wear visors next season, and seeing more things like that is best for the players from a personal safety standpoint. If there’s anyone who would know best about how a visor can save them it’s Yzerman as he was struck in the eye by an errant shot during the 2004 playoffs.