Vancouver Canucks' Brandon Sutter, left, skates past Columbus Blue Jackets' Ryan Murray to score a breakaway goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015, in Columbus, Ohio.Jay LaPrete/The Associated Press
Vancouver Canucks centre Brandon Sutter has undergone successful surgery to repair a sports hernia, the team announced Wednesday.
The 26-year-old had the procedure done on Tuesday, with the Canucks expecting him to be out another 4 to 6 weeks.
Sutter, who has four goals and four assists in 16 games this season, hasn't played since Nov. 10 despite the fact that the abdominal injury was initially thought to be minor.
"Following a period of treatment and evaluation our medical team determined that the best course of action for Brandon was to perform this procedure," Canucks general manager Jim Benning said in a release.
Vancouver acquired Sutter in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins in June before signing him to a five-year deal worth US$21.875 million in August.