Yzerman idled indefinitely

By John Niyo / The Detroit News

DETROIT — Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman underwent 4 1/2 hours of surgery to repair multiple fractures in the orbital bone around his left eye Saturday night at Henry Ford Hospital.

Afterward, one of the first questions he had for his doctors was if he’d be able to make the trip with his teammates to Calgary for tonight’s Game 6 of a Western Conference semifinal series. When told he couldn’t for medical reasons, Yzerman was disappointed.

“That just goes to show you what he’s all about,” the Wings’ Darren McCarty said. “We’ll have to bring Game 7 home so he can watch it Wednesday.”

Facing playoff elimination, the Wings’ resolve was tempered only by their relief Sunday, thanks to the news that Yzerman, badly injured when hit in the face by a puck midway through Saturday’s Game 5, was recovering well after surgery.

Yzerman was released from the hospital Sunday and, with his left eye bruised and swollen, even paid his teammates a visit at Joe Louis Arena before they departed for the airport.

Yzerman also suffered a scratched cornea and had blurred vision in his eye, but that condition was improving following surgery.

This type of injury generally requires at least a month of recovery time, but Wings officials are saying only that Yzerman is out of the lineup indefinitely. Still, some of his teammates talked hopefully about the possibility of him returning later in the playoffs, perhaps even in the next round if the Wings can advance.

“He’s a warrior, and he’ll be back to play again,” said Mathieu Schneider, whose slap shot hit Yzerman on the freakish deflection Saturday. “We’ve just got to keep going long enough to get him back.”