VANCOUVER -- Dakota Joshua will make his season debut for the Vancouver Canucks against the New York Islanders on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; SNP, MSGSN, MSGSN2) after being diagnosed with testicular cancer during the summer.

Some uplifting news for the Vancouver Canucks. On Thursday night, forward Dakota Joshua will make his season debut when the Canucks host the New York Islanders.

Dakota Joshua is well on the road to recovery after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in the summer and is hoping to be back in the lineup for the Vancouver Canucks in the near future. The forward has returned to practice and spoke to the media on Friday for the first time since having surgery in September.

This leaves winger Arshdeep Bains still down in Abbotsford, opening up the door for Dakota Joshua to make his season debut. Joshua has missed the first 14 games of this season as he recovers from successful testicular cancer surgery in the offseason.

Vancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua is set to make his return Thursday night against the New York Islanders, head coach Rick Tocchet announced.

The 28-year-old from Dearborn, Mich., was diagnosed with testicular cancer this summer and underwent surgery in early September.

Dakota Joshua is back! As confirmed by Head Coach Rick Tocchet, the Vancouver Canucks Unsung Hero from 2023-24 will make his season debut tonight against the New York Islanders. Joshua has been out of the lineup since Training Camp as he has been recovering from offseason surgery to remove a cancerous tumour.

Thursday, 7 p.m., Rogers Arena TV: SN Pacific. Radio: Sportsnet 650 The buzz: Dakota Joshua is back. The bruising winger will make his season debut on Thursday night, just about two months after it was revealed he was being treated for testicular cancer.