McDavid Will Miss Only 5-6 Weeks (sabres)

sabres

McDavid Will Miss Only 5-6 Weeks

By GARTH'S CORNER

Nov 12, 2014 • 6:30 pm

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Updated:

The Erie Otters are reporting that Connor McDavid's injury is a fractured 5th metacarpal bone in right hand. He will not require surgery to correct the issue. Estimated time for recovery is 5-6 weeks.

McDavid has been scorching the OHL for 51 points in his 18 games played this season.

He is the consensus choice to be picked #1 overall at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft in June 2015.

He was injured while attempting to punch Steelheads center Bryson Cianfrone. McDavid's final punch during the fight struck the Erie Insurance Arena glass.

The IIHF World Junior Championships are set to drop the puck on Boxing Day.

30 million Canadians are holding their collective breath right bow in hopes that McDavid can compete for WJC gold on home ice.

Oh, by the way. McDavid and Jack Eichel will face off against one another on New Year's Eve in Montreal. Something tells me that McDavid will be ready for the head to head grudge match with the Boston University frosh who is trying to unseat him at the top overall prospect.

More to come....

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Diehard Buffalo Sabres fans want to see more energy and more jam from their team like what they saw in the second period of the loss in St. Louis on Tuesday night when Ian Cole punked Tyler Ennis and touched off a brawl.

You want energy and tenacity?

The Sabres have tweeted that Patrick Kaleta will play his first game of the season on Thursday night in Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Thanks, Dan Hickling

On September 28, Kaleta blocked a Morgan Rielly slapper with his face, causing major damage.

Kaleta has been skating with the team for the past two weeks and has been cleared the team doctor to resume playing again.

He busted his tail in the off season after undergoing season ending knee surgery to repair his torn ACL that he suffered against the Lake Erie Monsters last November 29.

Kaleta was waived by then Sabres GM Darcy Regier on November 2, 2013. True to Kaleta's work ethic, he was doing everything in his scope of capabilities to change his game so that he could earn a recall back to Buffalo. He was suspended for 10 games for a hit to Jack Johnson of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Kaleta spent three weeks in Rochester. Kaleta will face off against former teammates Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, and the Wild Matt Cooke plays for the Wild, too.

Ted Nolan practiced his team in Minny today and here are his lines and D pairs:

Trios:

Moulson-Girgensons-Kaleta Foligno-Stafford-Stewart Flynn-Mitchell-Gionta Deslauriers-Hodgson

D:

Benoit/Myers Zadorov/Ristolainen Weber/Strachan

**

Josh Gorges has been ruled out for the Minny game. He suffered a lower body injury in the St. Louis loss. He played 10:10 TOI before the injury, and he blocked two more shots.

Andre Benoit will replace Gorges in the lineup.

Jhonas Enroth will be the starter.

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As we await the final verdict on the severity of the injury to Connor McDavid's injured hand/wrist, the show must go on for Hockey Canada.

As expected, Hockey Canada has announced that Connor McDavid will not be playing in the Subway Super Series game against Russia on Thursday night in Peterborough.

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Buffalo Sabres draft choice Brendan Lemieux (2nd round 2014)will play in Game 3 of the Subway Series on Thursday night.

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The Ontario Hockey League in association with the Canadian Hockey League today announced the players that will serve as Captains and Alternates for the 2014 SUBWAY® Super Series games to be played in Peterborough on November 13 and in Kingston November 17.

Edmonton Oilers prospect Darnell Nurse of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds will captain Team OHL for both games against the Russian National Junior Team. The 19-year-old defenceman from Hamilton, ON, is playing in his fourth OHL season with the Greyhounds and is currently in his second season as team captain. The seventh overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft has 10 points in eight games this season and returns to Team OHL for the second straight season after competing in 2013 games played in Oshawa and Sudbury.

Colorado Avalanche prospect Chris Bigras of the Owen Sound Attack, New York Islanders prospect Michael Dal Colle of the Oshawa Generals, and Los Angeles Kings prospect Roland McKeown of the Kingston Frontenacs will all serve as alternate captains for both games, with St. Louis Blues prospect Robby Fabbri of the Guelph Storm also serving as an alternate for Game 3 of the series in Peterborough.

***

Sherry Bassin, the owner and GM of the Erie Otters joined Macko & Cauz on TSN 1050 this morning to add context to the Connor McDavid hand injury.

Bassin said that the original x-rays taken on Tuesday night were inconclusive and that's what prompted the visit to the hand specialist in Toronto.

In the course of the interview, Bassin confirmed that McDavid has had a protocol in place for fighting. He's been instructed to bear hug the aggressor and to keep his guns in his holster. In other words, McDavid broke his own rules when he decided to pound the snot out of young Bryson Cianfrone, the naively aggressive Mississauga Steelhawk whose head McDavid tattooed in the one-sided fight.

which is to hang on until help arrives.

Bassin:

"Obviously, we don't want superstars like this fighting. I don't want to get into the shoulda, coulda, woulda. You know, he kid takes a lot of abuse out there from stick work and everybody saying "hit him" because that's the only thing that they think can stop him. And so, he's a human being. Obviously, we prefer and he would prefer too, not to (fight). Finally, it just got to him. He's a young kid."

Bassin raised a salient point that he feels like the real issue with McDavid having to fight is a lack of respect for the stars of the game. Bassin said that back in the day, the stars didn't have to fight. Opponents had the respect for the stars and would not challenge them and take advantage of them.

Bassin is one of the most respected, passionate and opinionated men in hockey.

Stop tap, Macko and Cauz for the great interview.

My take:

I like that McDavid took the law into his own hands and reacted in anger to being knocked around by Cianfrone and the Steelhawks.

The kid wears a bright red bullseye on his back and is a target for aggression everytime he's on the ice. Enemy coaches and players are told to stop #97 at all costs and to make his life a living Hell on the ice. The 17 year old has made a living by embarrassing great and mediocre OHL players and coaches alike. His highlight reel goals expose the deficiencies of his opponents. Its a "screw me once shame on me. Screw me twice, shame on you mentality" that opponents take with McDavid. He just soldiers on.

I asked McDavid about his mean streak and aggression after he and his Otters beat the Niagara Ice Dogs in Buffalo last month. He told me that he isn't going to be pushed around out on the ice and that he has to defend himself. I happen to agree with him. Beating down Cianfrone for the world to see served notice that he will not be a victim to goonery and stupidity anymore.

Listen, McDavid is slashed, hacked, speared, and cheap-shotted inside games all the time. He could have broken his wrist by being slashed or hit from behind. It just so happened that he hurt his own hand by punching a pane of glass while defending himself.

I like the kid's moxy and I hope that he brings that same spirit with him to the NHL next season. Hopefully, it will be in Buffalo where Sabres fans will love his unique blend of sick skills, size, vision, and his mean streak.

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***

Team Canada's WJC team organizers, coaches and managers are holding their collective breath today as they await the diagnosis and care plan for Connor McDavid's injured right hand.

Team Canada will be hosting the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championships and are already dealing with the loss of center/winger Sam Bennett who will miss the tournament and the majority of his OHL season due to injury.

McDavid and Sam Reinhart are expected to be the top two centers for Team Canada.

Losing McDavid to a long term injury will be a serious blow to Canada's chances of winning WJC gold on home soil.

More to come....

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