Pascal Dupuis Illness: Updates on Penguins Star's Status and Recovery

The Pittsburgh Penguins were dealt a major blow Wednesday as it was announced that forward Pascal Dupuis has been lost for the remainder of the 2014-15 regular season.

According to Penguins.com, Dupuis will be on the shelf for at least six months due to a blood clot in his lung. Team physician Dr. Dharmesh Vyas elaborated on his condition:

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Pascal had a blood clot in his leg that traveled to his lung. In medical terms, that is a deep vein thrombosis resulting in a pulmonary embolism. This is the second such incident that we know of for Pascal. The treatment is at least six months of blood thinners, during which time he will not be able to play hockey. Other than that, his condition is stable.

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Per the Pens' official Twitter account, Dupuis is putting his life and family before hockey during this trying time:

Penguins.com reports that Dupuis was previously diagnosed with a blood clot in January after tearing his ACL.

Having dealt with so many issues over the past year, NHL.com's Nick Cotsonika can't help but feel for the 35-year-old veteran:

Dupuis was enjoying a strong season with six goals and five assists in 16 games. He was a key member of the supporting cast alongside Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and his production will certainly be missed.

The main focus, though, for now is on Dupuis getting healthy.

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