Canucks' walking wounded aim to get healthy

VANCOUVER -- Getting through two grueling months of the Stanley Cup Playoffs doesn't come easy. Players often mask injuries as they try to battle through them.

On Friday, various Canucks confirmed many of the injuries players were battling with.

Defenseman Dan Hamhuis was sidelined in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final; he suffered an abdominal injury after he went to hip check Bruins forward Milan Lucic. The Smithers, B.C. native will go under the knife next week.

"We're not sure about the recovery," he said. "On that Lucic hit I did some damage in the core area. We're going to have a surgery done next week, and once they get in there they'll find out more of what they need to repair."

Henrik Sedin, who was evidently ailing at a few points during the playoff run, battled a back injury as a result of a cross check he received in the second round against Nashville. But the captain still wouldn't admit to it Friday.

"Like everyone else, I was banged up, that's what happens in the playoffs. Everyone goes through the same thing," he said. "Nothing has to go on record, like everyone else we're banged up and that' the way it is in the playoffs and you play through it and it gets better."

Center Ryan Kesler, who appeared to hurt his left leg in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final, told the media prior to the start of the Stanley Cup Final that he left the game against San Jose because he had to call his wife since he thought he left the iron on at home.

On Friday the truth came out: The Selke Trophy finalist, has a hip injury. It's not known whether he will need offseason surgery, but the Livonia, Mich., native did miss 34 games with a hip injury during the 2006-07 season.

The 26-year-old was still unwilling to talk about injuries 48 hours after the Game 7 loss.

Alexander Edler played Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final with two broken fingers. Fellow defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, who hurt his shoulder as a result of a collision with San Jose's Jamie McGinn during Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, never fully recovered before the Final -- and, according to GM Mike Gillis, the injury got worse during the series with the Bruins. 

"Ehrhoff had a shoulder injury that didn't recover from the third round onward," Gillis said. "We don't think he'll need a procedure, but he needs some fairly serious rest and rehab."

Another defenseman, Kevin Bieksa, was suffering from a bruised MCL in his knee sustained when he received a slash.

Forward Mikael Samuelsson had surgery during the second round of the playoffs after he was injured in a collision with Predators forward Nick Spaling during Game 5 of the second round. Samuelsson sat out the Final after having surgery to repair a torn adductor and a sports hernia.

Mason Raymond suffered a vertebrae compression fracture 20 seconds into Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final when he was hit by Bruins defenseman Jonny Boychuk. The Canucks say he will be out at least three months -- they hope to have him back by the end of November.

Chris Higgins had a serious foot injury suffered when he blocked a shot during the Nashville series; the team wouldn't say the foot was broken, but the injury did get progressively worse as the playoffs wore on.

The Canucks now have three months to get healthy before the puck drops on the 2011-12 season and some may not be ready for the start of Vancouver's 41st season in the NHL.