It’s not often that teams have to worry about the injury status of their coaching staff, but recently, Willie Desjardins proved to be an exception to the rule. Unfortunately, he’ll be away from the bench for a few weeks, but his recovery should be quick enough to bring him back before opening night.

According to the press release, Desjardins has had troubles with his hips for a “long time”. In recent weeks, these troubles have led to an acute flare up to the point of needing immediate attention. As such, Desjardins underwent surgery and is now focusing on his recovery.

Desjardins’ disappearance will not affect the Penticton Young Stars tournament, as Utica Comets’ head coach Travis Green was and will continue to be scheduled to coach the Canucks prospects. Training camp will be covered by Doug Lidster, Glen Gulutzan, and Perry Pearn. They will also take care of as much of the pre-season as necessary.