Saying it has been the toughest decison he has made as Canucks General Manager, Mike Gillis has today put centre Manny Malhotra on the Injured Reserve list for the season, ending his season in Vancouver and possibly his NHL career.

Gillis stated in a press conference at Roger's Arena that he had approached Malhotra this past off season and the team had expressed concerns then about the safety of the player on the ice with his diminished vision after his eye was struck by a puck late in the 2011 season.  After allowing Malhotra a full off season to train and return to Vancouver's lineup, Gillis and the club made the decision to pull Malhotra from the roster after reviewing his play to begin the season.

When asked if the Canucks would entertain bringing Malhotra back to the lineup if there is injury or inconsisent play up the middle, Gillis responded with an emphatic 'No'.

Malhotra becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Gillis also stated that Malhotra will be offered a position within the Canucks organization, but that the team was still sorting out that aspect of this announcement at the time of the press conference.