Maple Ridge NHL star Andrew Ladd is expected to miss all of the coming pro hockey season with a knee injury.
Ladd, now with the Arizona Coyotes, has been placed on the injured reserve. The 36-year-old had seven goals and 12 points in 56 games with the Desert Dogs last season.
Whether he returns to hockey after three knee surgeries remains to be seen. He is in the last season under contract, as he signed a $38.5 million seven-year deal with the New York Islanders in 2016.
Ladd has brought the Stanley Cup back to his hometown, after he won it with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, which was his rookie season.
He won hockey’s Holy Grail again as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, then went on to be the captain of the Winnipeg Jets from 2011 to 2016. He had his best season with the Jets, posting 24 goals and 62 points in 2014-2015.
Ladd has played 1,001 games in the NHL, over 16 seasons, scoring 256 goals and totalling 550 points.
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Maple Ridge is still represented in the NHL by defenceman Brad Hunt. After playing in front of his hometown fans with the Vancouver Canucks last season, Hunt was signed as a free agent by the Colorado Avalanche for the coming campaign.
Hunt was placed on waivers on Thursday as Colorado began paring down its roster, and could be bound for the AHL and the Colorado Eagles.
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