Cody Hodgson eyeing NHL comeback

Cody Hodgson is attempting to make a comeback eight years after his last NHL appearance, he told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

The 2008 No. 10 pick by the Vancouver Canucks was forced to retire at age 26 after being diagnosed with malignant hyperthermia. He was medically cleared in the summer and has been skating five-to-six times per week, he told Friedman.

Hodgson, who turns 34 in February, skated in 328 NHL games between the Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, and Nashville Predators, registering 142 points. His best season came during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign when he tallied 15 goals and 19 assists in 48 games with the Sabres.

The Markham, Ontario, product enjoyed a spectacular junior career highlighted by his performance at the 2009 World Junior Championship, when he led the tournament with 16 points in six games en route to a gold medal for Canada.