Monday, May 03, 2004
By Ansar Khan
DETROIT -- After undergoing 4 1/2 hours of surgery Saturday night to repair multiple fractures to his orbital bone, Detroit Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman, who also suffered a scratched cornea during Saturday's playoff game against Calgary, asked if he could join the team Sunday for its flight to Calgary.
The answer, obviously, was no. But the gesture was inspiring.
"That goes to show you what he's all about," teammate Darren McCarty said.
The Wings said Yzerman will be out indefinitely -- it's hard to imagine any scenario in which he could return in these playoffs -- but the good news is he is expected to make a full recovery.
Yzerman experienced blurred vision in his left eye, which improved after the surgery at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. He was struck in the face by a puck from a deflected shot with 8:03 to play in the second period of the Wings' 1-0 loss to the Flames.
His teammates, trailing the second-round playoff series 3-2, are facing elimination tonight in Game 6 at the Saddledome. Yzerman was scheduled to undergo more tests and be released from the hospital Sunday night or today.
Nervous teammates were relieved on Sunday as they arrived at Joe Louis Arena for an optional practice.
"That's all we were concerned about, Stevie as the person. Him coming back and playing hockey was the furthest thing from everyone's mind," Kris Draper said. "When you get hit like that and the way he went down, you knew it wasn't good. Basically, everybody that came in this morning, the first question out of their mouth was, 'How's Stevie doing?' Thankfully, from everything we heard, surgery went well."
There remains a possibility that Saturday's game could have been the last in Yzerman's illustrious 21-year NHL career. He has said that he intends to play next season, and Wings general manager Ken Holland has said the club would like him back, likely signing him to a one-year contract extension this summer. But if the anticipated NHL work stoppage -- after the expiration of the league's collective bargaining agreement on Sept. 15 -- wipes out the entire 2004-05 season, there's no guarantee that Yzerman, who turns 39 on Sunday, would return.
"For a warrior like Stevie, you don't want that to be the last memory of him," Draper said.
Wings defenseman Mathieu Schneider said there were "a couple of scenarios" floating around about Yzerman's potential return. He said the best-case scenario he heard was that Yzerman could return in a couple of weeks and play with a face shield, assuming the team advances.
But Yzerman's return during these playoffs appears overly optimistic and highly unlikely.
"To see a guy go down that hard, you don't see it that often," Schneider said. "In the playoffs, guys go above and beyond. He's been a great leader, played through a lot of injuries in his career. He's the kind of player you'll probably see come back early . . . We just have to keep going long enough to get him back."
Regardless, the club must be prepared to deal with its most important game of the season tonight without its leader.
"It'll be in the back of our minds. All of us will be thinking about him," McCarty said. "Whatever angle it takes for guys to play the game of their lives, that's what we have to do."
Wings coach Dave Lewis said he hadn't decided who will replace Yzerman in the lineup. He said injured players Jason Williams (groin), Mark Mowers (foot) and Steve Thomas (groin) are available.
"You can't replace (Yzerman's) leadership, what he stands for and what he does for this team," Lewis said. "Other players have to assume some of that responsibility, leadership-wise and on the ice."
Yzerman exceeded all expectations by playing well on his reconstructed right knee this season after missing most of the 2002-03 season after surgery. But it has been a painful year.
On Feb. 5 in Colorado, Yzerman was smacked hard in the face by a careless high-stick from Avalanche defenseman Adam Foote. Yzerman lost one tooth, had two others damaged, needed eight stitches to close a gash on his lip and wore braces for six weeks.
But he didn't miss a game. In fact, he scored two goals in a 4-2 victory against San Jose after the five-day NHL All-Star break.
"You wonder what else can happen to the guy that hasn't happened already," Schneider said.