Carolina Hurricanes winger Bryan Bickell has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which will require an indefinite period of rest before determining whether his hockey career can continue.
Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis and the 30-year-old veteran announced the news Friday.
Carolina acquired Bickell in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks in June. The 2004 second-round pick scored just one point over his first seven games and has been sidelined since Oct. 30. He stated in Friday's release the issue dates back to last year's playoff run with Chicago.
"Since the 2015 playoffs, I've been struggling to understand what was going on with my body.