Cody Hodgson Pulls Out Of WJC

Vancouver Canucks number one prospect, Cody Hodgson, has pulled out of the upcoming World Junior Championship where Canada aims for a sixth straight championship. Hodgson played a huge role last year leading the tournament in scoring. He was expected to captain Team Canada this year, but a nagging back injury will sideline Hodgson for this years tournament.

Hodgson was drafted in the first round, 10th overall, of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Hodgson is considered as one of the top prospects in the World and had high expectations coming into the Canucks training camp this summer. A back injury suffered during World Junior camp in the summer put all those plans on the shelf.

Despite the injury, Hodgson played in six preseason games for the Vancouver Canucks but his back injury held him back. Cody was eventually returned to his junior team, the Brampton Battalion and has yet to play in a game this season. He was ordered to stay off the ice for a month and has only recently began skating as well as intense rehab.

It's been nearly five months since Hodgson suffered a bulging disc in his lower back while training. He played six preseason games in September. Even then, however, the disc was impinging a nerve, creating pain and discomfort, while limiting his skating stride. How forthcoming he was with that information at the time is unclear.

At the end of preseason, Hodgson hung up his skates based on medical advice that he needed three to four weeks of rest.

"Dr. Tony Miniaci recommended that time off because he plateaued," Gillis said. "He's decided he's not going to play in the World Junior tournament and this is not a sign that things have gone terribly wrong, in any way."