Micheal Ferland wants to ignore medical advice and return to Canucks’ training camp

Back in 2019, Micheal Ferland was not part of the Vancouver Canucks’ active roster last year and was then placed on Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) to start the 2020-21 season and has remained on there since, with his last game played on Dec, 10, 2019.

This happened due to a frightening concussion history, one he had even before he signed in Vancouver, as he suffered another concussion just 12 games into the 2019-20 season during a fight with Kyle Clifford, who was a member of the Los Angeles Kings at the time.

Ferland attempted to return to action on three occasions, but was forced to leave each time with “concussion-like symptoms.” He returned for the postseason in the summer of 2020, but the symptoms were back as well.

This prompted him to make the tough call of stopping playing hockey, as his loved ones worry about his well-being.
However on Wednesday, former Gino Odjick revealed that Ferland was considering attending the Canucks’ training camp in September. During a morning appearance on Donnie and Dhali – The Team, Odjick provided an update on Ferland, and shared the advice he gave him when the sidelined player called him with the idea of retuning to action.

“He’s doing good,” said Odjick. “He asked me, ‘what should I do? Should I come back or not?’

“I told him no…You should worry about your quality of life. But he wants to come back to training camp and give it a try and I don’t know what’s gonna happen. I’d be surprised if he passed his physical.”

Ferland’s contract expires at the end of the upcoming 2022-23 season, and Odjick’s advice might have already convince him to focus on his health as his agent told Dhaliwal afterwards that health remains his priority number one and that he has no desire to return to the game of hockey.

Ferland called the right man to get sincere advice on the importance of staying healthy and having a great life quality: in 2014, Odjick was diagnosed with rare and potentially terminal heart disease AL amyloidosis, a condition that causes abnormal protein to be produced and deposited on the heart.

“Everything’s in remission so touch wood that it stays that way,” said Odjick. “[I] will continue to fight and just be positive. You really appreciate life when you get sick like that, you don’t take life for granted anymore. You really enjoy every day and make sure you tell your family you love them.”

Ferland will definitely be inspired by Odjick and hopefully will remain off the ice to focus on his health.