Hodgson retired in 2016 due to health concerns.

Cody Hodgson is ready to restart his pro hockey career. According to Elliotte Friedman, the former Vancouver Canucks forward has been skating multiple times a week and is looking for an opportunity to get back into the sport. Hodgson hasn't played since 2016 after being diagnosed with malignant hyperthermia, but according to Friedman, he has been given a clean bill of health at this time. 

Initially drafted by the Canucks tenth overall in 2008, Hodgson played 71 games in Vancouver before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres. A star in the OHL, he was named CHL Player of the Year in 2009 after finishing the season with 92 points in 53 games. That year, he also won Gold for Canada at the World Juniors, where he was named to the All-Star team after leading the tournament in assists (11) and points (16). 

Arguably Hodson's most memorable moment came in what Canucks fans refer to as "Game 8". This was the first game back in Boston after the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, where Hodgson unloaded a slap shot coming down the wing that beat Tim Thomas for what would turn out to be the game-winner. While his career in Vancouver was short-lived, fans will never forget that goal and the ping it made that echoed throughout TD Garden. 

Now aged 33, it will not be an easy road back to the NHL for Hodgson. While there is no doubt he is highly talented, the game has changed and is a lot faster than when he retired in 2016. Hopefully, he can get an opportunity somewhere, so at least he can now retire on his own terms. 

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