Canucks' Mikheyev done for the season, will undergo ACL surgery
It was a bittersweet night for Vancouver Canucks forward Ilya Mikheyev.
The Russian winger scored his 13th goal of the season in the first period, which stood up as the winning goal in 5-2 Canucks win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Moments after the game ended, Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin announced that Mikheyev will undergo ACL surgery, which will sideline him for the rest of the season.
Mikheyev suffered the injury in the first period of the Canucks’ first preseason game of the season, back on September 25th against the Calgary Flames.
A look at the hit in the corner on Ilya Mikheyev that sent him to the locker room right after. The #Canucks have announced Mikheyev won't return tonight. pic.twitter.com/NfE38D6AwX
— Lachlan Irvine (@LachInTheCrease) September 26, 2022
He missed the rest of the preseason, and the first three games of the regular season before returning to the lineup on October 18 against the Blue Jackets.
“Credit to Ilya, [he’s] been playing on basically one knee here,” Allvin told reporters after the game. “Our medical staff has been preparing him for all the games up to this point.
“It shows a lot about Ilya’s character and his will to play for the Vancouver Canucks.”
When asked about how disappointed he was about his season being over, Mikheyev was visibly emotional.
Ilya Mikheyev speaks to the media about his season ending surgery.@theprovince | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/yzY9JJQ713
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 28, 2023
“Of course…” he answered, before tailing off. “It’s a tough moment for me.”
Mikheyev said that the injury wasn’t so much about pain, but more so that it affected his “power and stability.”
He also mentioned that the injury affected his speed, and that he’s either played with a brace or a taped knee throughout the season.
When asked if it was a full or partial ACL tear, Mikheyev said it was “almost” a full tear.
The 27-year-old will have surgery next week. He didn’t say where the surgery will take place, just that it won’t be in Vancouver. CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal reported that Mikheyev will have surgery in the United States.
Milstein : Ilya did try and play through it and it was his decision. There is no one to blame here, since September we knew this was possible.
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) January 28, 2023
“He wants to keep playing, but it’s not the right thing to do,” Tocchet told reporters after the game. “We care about the person.
“Things haven’t been going that great and he wants to be part of the solution.”
Mikheyev entered the season with high expectations after signing a four-year deal worth $4.75 million per season.
There were concerns that Mikheyev wouldn’t be able to score enough to justify his contract. He had trouble finishing his chances early in his NHL career before busting through with 21 goals in 53 games last season for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Mikheyev eased those concerns during his first year with the Canucks. He will finish the season with 13 goals and 28 points in 45 games — good for a 23-goal, 52-point pace over a full season.
Ilya Mikheyev is out for the season following surgery for an ACL injury he suffered in the preseason(!). #Canucks pic.twitter.com/ODi6v4WblA
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) January 28, 2023
Statistically, he was also one of the Canucks better penalty killers amongst a dreadful unit.
It’s a tough end to the season for Mikheyev, who will miss the team’s final 33 games.
This is also the second time the winger has missed extended time due to an injury. A gruesome wrist injury ended his rookie season right after Christmas in 2019-20 while playing for the Maple Leafs.