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Pirates update on Jordan Smith

The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Portland Pirates announced on Monday evening that Pirates defenseman Jordan Smith is recovering at Maine Medical Center after a second successful surgery performed on his left eye.

Smith is under the care of orbital specialist Dr. Natan D. Kahn, M.D., and retinal specialist Dr. Jeffrey K. Moore, M.D.

"Today Jordan underwent a second surgery on his left eye, which was uncomplicated. It was determined pre-operatively that vision in the eye could not be restored and the intent of today’s operation was to keep the eye comfortable and achieve the best cosmetic outcome. The surgery was successful in all aspects and he is recovering well and will be discharged tomorrow," said Dr. Moore.

Today’s surgery came 10 days after Smith experienced extreme trauma to his left eye, caused by a deflected puck on Feb. 24 as Portland faced Manchester. At that time, Smith received emergency eye surgery performed by Dr. Moore and Dr. Kahn at Maine Eye Center.

"This is a very difficult situation for a young, brave man to go through. Our thoughts are with the entire Smith family, and Jordan will always be a part of ours," said Mighty Ducks executive vice president and general manager Brian Burke. "He will rebound from this and we will be there for him and his family as they move forward from here."

"It has been an emotional time for our team and all of our players," said Pirates head coach Kevin Dineen. "They all realize how fragile and incredibly special their playing careers are. All of our guys admire Jordan for his character and courage and we will all feed off his strong resolve that he has shown this past week."

Smith was drafted in the second round (39th overall) of the 2004 NHL entry draft. In his first year of professional hockey, he has recorded six goals and eight assists for 14 points, along with 145 penalty minutes in 55 games with Portland.