Jonathan Toews still recovering from hit
The Blackhawks have always maintained that Jonathan Toews is ``day to day’’ with his concussion-like symptoms, but the team captain’s time off the ice has dragged on.
(Tom Cruze/Sun-Times)
He missed Monday’s practice at the United Center and, if he misses the next workout -- on Wednesday in Phoenix, that’ll be two weeks off the ice since he absorbed a thunderous hit from Vancouver defenseman Willie Mitchell in an Oct. 21 game at the United Center.
``Every day you’re hopeful he can get on the ice and be part of it,’’ coach Joel Quenneville said after the last practice prior to this week’s road trip that takes the Hawks to Phoenix and Denver. The Hawks visit the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday and the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.
Quenneville had predicted that Toews’ injury would be ``short-term,’’ but two weeks might be stretching that a bit and the progress report doesn’t sound as encouraging as it once did.
``As the days go on it fluctuates a little bit, so it’s tough to say,’’ said Quenneville. ``Sometimes (recovery) takes time. That’s where we’re at.’’
The Hawks have dealt with two other injuries similar to Toews’ already this season. Ben Eager, who returned to practice this week, missed 11 games and will probably miss a couple more before he’s cleared for full contact. Brent Seabrook, injured on Oct. 21 -- in the same game as Toews, missed two games.
Though he has participated in off-ice team activities and will go on this week’s road trip Toews hasn’t been very physically active and hasn’t faced the media since stumbling off the ice in the Vancouver game.
``He does basically some workouts to find out if he can ratchet it up. That dictates where we’re at,’’ said Quenneville. ``We’re still optimistic that it’s short-term. That’s why we keep saying it’s on a day to day basis.’’
General manager Stan Bowman also said he’s ``not too concerned’’ as Toews’ injury time increases. ``Hopefully he’ll be back soon, and it is a day to day thing,’’ said Bowman. ``These things can turn around quickly. Certainly if it lingers a long time you’d begin to get worried.’’
Toews’ injury is just one of a number around the NHL that have sidelined top stars recently. Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, Carolina’s Eric Stahl and Florida’s David Booth are also among those out, and Booth was sidelined following a hit from Mike Richards of Philadelphia. As was the case with Mitchell’s hit on Toews, no action was taken on Richards’ hit on Booth.
In the Hawks’ last game, a 3-2 win over Montreal on Friday, the Hawks’ Andrew Ladd flattened Matt D’Agostini with a hard hit that put the Montreal player out of the game and kept him out of the lineup the following night. The NHL has made no suspension ruling on Ladd, either, and the Hawks don’t expect one to be forthcoming.
But, in part because some of the injured players are high-profile ones, the NHL general managers will likely discuss the hitting issue at their upcoming meeting next week.
``With all the things that have happened, it’s good to have dialog,’’ said Bowman. ``I don’t think it matters who gets hurt. Nobody wants to see players get injured, but hockey is a physical game and has been for a long time.’’
But it’s especially been so in the last couple weeks. ``There’s been a lot of big hits,’’ said Quenneville. ``We all like the contact and physicality of our game, but there’ s a fine line or balance to be reached.’’
In a departure from their normal routine the Hawks depart early today for Phoenix with the fathers’ of the players coming along. There’ll be no practice, only a golf outing, today and several other social events have also been built into the trip.