Coyotes Forward Martin Hanzal To Undergo Back Surgery; Likely To Miss Rest Of Season

(Photo: Flickr)

It’s been a season full of injuries for Arizona Coyotes Martin Hanzal, and it seems that his season has officially come to a halt. The Coyotes announced on Thursday afternoon that the forward who’s been on injured reserve for the past couple weeks is to undergo surgery on his back.

The Coyotes general manager, Don Maloney, commented on the situation saying, “Marty is going to have a procedure on his back next week, which will put him week-to-week and in all likelihood finish his season. The good thing is he’ll have time to recover and we’ll get him back as soon as possible.”

Back injuries are not a new concept for the 27-year-old who had his first back surgery after his rookie season (2007-2008). Maloney also said that this specific injury was not new to Hanzal, and that he has suffered from it for several seasons now. They see him taking the step of surgery as a way to have him healthier and ultimately more useful in the coming seasons.

Of the clubs 55 games so far this season, Hanzal has only played in 37.

“The likelihood of him returning this season is remote but we do anticipate a full recovery.” -Don Maloney, Coyotes GM.

The alternate captain’s large presence on the ice has been missed in his time spent on the IR, especially with Mikkel Boedker being out after surgery on his ruptured spleen. Boedker’s return has not been given an official timetable, but he has stayed involved with the team.

The team has seemed to be able to find a way to score. Hanzal and Boedker, but offense is an area they still lack in. The Coyotes rank 27th out of the 30 NHL teams, and so their absences do not ultimately effect their season, due to the playoffs not being probable.