Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning announced on Monday that veteran defenseman Travis Hamonic has been placed on a temporary leave of absence as he continues to work through some personal matters.
Said Benning in the statement: The mutually agreed upon leave of absence will get Travis time as he works through his personal matters. The team asks the media respect Travis’ privacy and the club will not be making any further comments on the matter at this time.”
Hamonic was one of the first players to opt out of the NHL’s return to play bubble during the 2019-20 season when he was a member of the Calgary Flames, but signed with the Canucks prior to the 2020-21 season, appearing in 38 games for the team.
There was some speculation he might opt out of this season but he did not do so. Even so, he has yet to make an appearance with the team. During his training camp absence it was believed it was vaccine related, but there has been no confirmation of that being the cause. The NHL has said that only four players are not vaccinated this season.
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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.