The Associated Press

This is a test for Consumer Pay Call to Action
Sports

Seattle Kraken center Yanni Gourde is out 5-7 weeks after sports hernia surgery

Seattle Kraken center Yanni Gourde checks Vancouver Canucks defenseman Guillaume Brisebois against the boards during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Seattle Kraken center Yanni Gourde checks Vancouver Canucks defenseman Guillaume Brisebois against the boards during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
 
Share

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Kraken center Yanni Gourde is expected to be out five to seven weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia.

General manager Ron Francis provided the medical update on Gourde on Friday, hours after the surgery took place in the morning.

That recovery timeframe risks the possibility that Gourde will not play before the NHL trade deadline on March 7. With the Kraken barely on the fringe of the playoff race in the Western Conference and given that he’s a pending free agent, Gourde is expected to be one of the top rental options for contenders looking to add at the deadline.

Gourde, 33, has 83 games of playoff experience in the league, including back-to-back Stanley Cup runs with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and ’21 before Seattle chose him in the expansion draft. A dependable two-way player, Gourde is skating an average of more than 15 minutes over 35 games this season and has six goals and 10 assists.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl