Yzerman might be sidelined for Blues
Groin injury puts opener in danger

September 30, 2005
BY CHRIS SILVA
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman might not be in the lineup when the regular season opens Wednesday.
Yzerman, 40, is approaching his 22nd season with the Wings, but he has been bothered by a groin injury and isn't expected to return to the ice until Monday.
The Wings will open the season against St. Louis at Joe Louis Arena.
"The injury has kept him off the ice this week, and we'll know a lot more on Monday when he plans to skate again," general manager Ken Holland told the Associated Press on Thursday. "If he's not 100% healthy, he's not going to play because it's a long season, and we're going to need him."
Yzerman last played for the Wings in the second round of the 2004 playoffs, when he was struck near the left eye by a puck in a game against Calgary.
He enters this season with 678 goals and 1,721 points.
Yzerman isn't the only ailing Red Wing. Goaltender Chris Osgood is expected to miss the opener because of a groin injury, and defenseman Niklas Kronwall will miss an estimated six weeks because of a knee injury.
Osgood has missed all the exhibition games. Manny Legace will start in the regular season until Osgood can play. Rookie Jimmy Howard will be the backup. Kronwall walked with a noticeable limp Thursday after the Wings' off-day skate at Joe Louis Arena. He hurt his left knee Tuesday against Colorado, and an MRI exam Wednesday revealed damage to his anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments.
Kronwall is scheduled to have the knee examined this afternoon in Aspen, Colo. Asked if he were confident he could return to the ice this season, Kronwall said: "Oh, yeah, for sure. Yeah, yeah. There's no way my season's over."
The injury occurred when Colorado's Dan Hinote slammed into Kronwall's hip and knee along the boards. "I was hoping that it was something minor," Kronwall said, "but now we'll know for sure" today.
NOTEBOOK: The Wings assigned six more players to their minor league affiliate in Grand Rapids, including Jiri Hudler and Valtteri Filppula. Kyle Quincey, Matt Ellis, Donald MacLean and Kent McDonell were also assigned.... Coach Mike Babcock said right wing Mikael Samuelsson, whose work visa has gone through, will skate with the Wings today and play Saturday at Toronto.