Boston Bruins forward David Backes will undergo surgery to remove a portion of his colon and will miss about eight weeks. Backes is dealing with diverticulitis, a disease described as an inflammation in the intestinal tract.
“It was determined that attempting to delay the surgery until after the season was an unacceptable risk to his health,” Bruins team internist David Finn said in a statement.
The 33-year-old former captain of the Blues is in his second season with Boston after 10 years in St. Louis. He had 17 goals and 21 assists last season.