Canucks’ Derek Dorsett ending career due to spinal issues

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Vancouver Canucks' Derek Dorsett (15) plays during an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) Photo: Associated Press/Gene J. Puskar

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Vancouver Canucks forward Derek Dorsett says he is devastated after deciding to follow medical advice and end his hockey career because of spinal problems.

Doctors have recommended he not return to the ice because of “long-term, significant health risks” associated with a cervical disk herniation, the Canucks said Thursday.

“It will take a long time for this to truly sink in,” Dorsett said in a statement. “As hard as it was to hear, (the) diagnosis is definitive. There is no gray area, and it gives me clarity to move forward.”

Dorsett was shut down 14 games into the 2016-17 season when the numbness he often felt after delivering or receiving a hit became progressively worse.

The 30-year-old underwent spinal surgery a year ago and was cleared to play this season. But he recently began experiencing back and neck stiffness.

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