Mikheyev out rest of season for Canucks, will have ACL surgery

VANCOUVER -- Ilya Mikheyev is out for the remainder of the season for the Vancouver Canucks and will have ACL surgery.

The announcement came after a
5-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets
at Rogers Arena on Friday. The 28-year-old forward scored in the first period.
Mikheyev said he sustained a partial tear of his ACL in his first preseason game with the Canucks against the Calgary Flames on Sept. 25. He left that game after getting hit into the boards at 4:17 of the second period and was originally declared week to week with a lower-body injury. He missed the first three games of the regular season before returning Oct. 18 at Columbus.
"When I was injured in the preseason, I went through several tests and realized I could play without causing any more damage," Mikheyev said on Twitter on Saturday. "That's what I wanted to do. Twice per week, we consulted with team doctors about how things were progressing. Never did I feel pressure, never did I feel worse. It was my decision. Finally it reached a point where I wanted to be ready on time for next year."
Mikheyev wore a brace to continue playing and had 28 points (13 goals, 15 assists) in 46 games. He said he hopes to be ready for the start of next season.
"It needed a surgery," Vancouver general manager Patrik Allvin said. "You're basically playing on one knee here, and it speaks highly about his pain tolerance and what he's willing to do."

Mikheyev was playing his first season with Vancouver after agreeing to a four-year contract July 13, 2022. He had 32 points (21 goals, 11 assists) in 53 regular-season games for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, and four points (two goals, two assists) in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games. Mikheyev has 100 points (49 goals, 51 assists) in 192 games with the Canucks and Maple Leafs.
"If I continued to play, I wouldn't be ready for training camp," Mikheyev said. "I appreciate everyone's concern, but I have no complaints with the way this was handled."
Vancouver (20-26-3) is sixth in the Pacific Division and trails Calgary by 14 points for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference.
"He's been giving all he has this year, [but] he's not healthy," said Rick Tocchet, who replaced Bruce Boudreau as Canucks coach last Sunday. "He's a really good hockey player, and we'll use this 5-6 months to get him healthy. Kid's got a lot of character to play the way he's been playing. I think he wanted to keep playing just to show me. It means a lot, but I want him healthy."