RALEIGH, N.C. -- Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Joni Pitkanen will miss the upcoming season as he continues to recover from a broken left heel suffered late last season.
The 29-year-old Pitkanen missed the final 13 games of the 2012-13 season with the injury, which occurred in April in a game against Washington when he raced down the ice in an attempt to beat an icing call.
Hurricanes president and general manager Jim Rutherford said earlier this month that Pitkanen might not be ready to start his sixth season with Carolina and that he would need another CT scan on his heel.
The veteran defenseman has 57 career goals and 225 assists in nine NHL seasons with Philadelphia, Edmonton and Carolina.
Carolina opens the regular season at home against Detroit on Oct. 4.
