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Eric Stephens of the OC Register reported today that Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf will need facial surgery after being struck by a puck in Carolina more than a week ago.
Ducks will update status of Ryan Getzlaf later but belief is facial surgery needed for repair work after getting hit by puck in Carolina.
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) November 7, 2017
UPDATE: The Ducks have released an official statement:
NEWS: Executive VP/GM Bob Murray said Ryan Getzlaf had surgery to repair a fracture to his zygomatic bone. Recovery could be up to 2 months.
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) November 7, 2017
Getzlaf left early in the game when the puck hit him and did not return. It’s likely that the medical staff had to wait several days for swelling to go down before performing the necessary tests and scans to determine if surgery was needed. It now appears that repairs will indeed be in the cards for the 32 year old star.
Getzlaf had played in 6 total games for the Ducks this season after dealing with another injury out of training camp. The captain made the most of those games with 7 points (1G, 6A) over the period.
It is likely that this injury will revive the issue of wearing a visor on the ice. Getzlaf has previously worn some sort of face protection (either a visor or a full face mask) after suffering facial injuries over the years. It remains to be seen if Getzlaf will don a visor full time once he recovers, given his history.