Ducks goalie John Gibson underwent an emergency appendectomy on Wednesday, the team revealed on Thursday.
He is expected to miss three to six weeks, meaning his absence is all but certain to cut into the regular season, which will open Oct. 12 in San Jose for the Ducks.
Gibson, 31, is the second-longest tenured player on the Ducks’ roster behind defenseman Cam Fowler, having made his debut during the 2013-14 season. The Pittsburgh native has borne the brunt of the Ducks’ rebuild, posting sub-.900 save percentages (each one a career low) in each of the past two seasons, including last year when he went 13-27-2 with a career-worst .888 save percentage and ceded starts to Lukáš Dostál (14-23-3 with a .902 save percentage), effectively splitting the netminding duties.
Now, he begins 2024-25 out of action, opening the door for the further expansion of the 24-year-old Dostál’s role and for 30-year-old Oscar Dansk, potentially. Dansk signed with the Ducks after they sustained another injury in goal, to projected minor-league starter Tomas Suchanek, who underwent knee surgery and will miss most of the campaign.
While appendectomies are common among hockey players and the general population alike – longtime Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf had his appendix removed early in the 2015-16 season – any and all injuries have become especially unwelcome news for the Ducks.
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Last season, Trevor Zegras, Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Troy Terry and Alex Killorn were among those missing for extended periods from the Ducks’ nucleus. Their newest prized prospect, winger Beckett Sennecke, broke his foot during offseason training, an unpleasant initiation for the No. 3 overall pick in June’s NHL draft.
Gibson is in the midst of an eight-year, $51.2 million contract that runs through 2027 and carries an annual average value of $6.4 million. He’s been the subject of trade rumors for much of the six-year playoff drought for the Ducks, though two of his three career All-Star appearances came during that span.
Gibson has a career record of 193-206-61 with a 2.90 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.