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The Calgary Hitmen announced today that potential top ten NHL Draft prospect Jake Virtanen will miss the next four to six months of action after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Earlier I profiled Virtanen and ranked him as the 11th best prospect in this draft class. You can read that report here.

Virtanen was the first overall pick in the 2011 WHL Draft, and the 17-year-old had 45 goals and 71 points in 71 games for the Hitmen this season. He also scored three goals and six points for Canada in the Under 18 World Championships, helping the team to a bronze medal. It is believed that he played the end of the WHL regular season, the playoffs, and the U18s with the injury.

Virtanen will still attend the NHL’s draft combine in Toronto in June, however he will only participate in the interview and measurement parts of the process and will not do any of the fitness testing due to his injury.

For the latest sports injury news, check out our friends at sports injury alert.

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