York Needs Shoulder Surgery After Season

Defenseman Jason York said he will need arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder at the end of the season.

York was scratched from Wednesday’s game to rest, although he said he could have played. He received a cortisone shot in the shoulder Feb. 13 after the Ducks’ last game before the Olympic break.

“It had a negative effect,” York said. “I couldn’t lift my arm last week. The doctor said that meant it wasn’t inflammation and was probably something in the joint. It will have to be taken care of with surgery.”

York said that if he had the surgery now, the recovery would be four to six weeks. The season has only seven weeks left, so he decided to rest the shoulder and hopes to return to the lineup Sunday when the Ducks play at Chicago.

Niclas Havelid, a healthy scratch the last 12 games, started in York’s place Wednesday. Havelid had not played since Jan. 16.

York, a free agent the Ducks signed to a three-year, $2-million contract last summer, has been bothered by a sore shoulder much of the season. He missed five games in January because of it.

An offense-oriented defenseman, York has four goals and 19 points. But his plus-minus is a minus-10.

“It’s been hard all season because I am not able to do what I normally can do,” York said. “I can’t take guys out because I don’t have full strength in the shoulder.”