NHL Hockey Injury Updates – December 19, 2007

Mikko Koivu Still Not Ready To Return

This stinks because the guy was on such a roll when he got injured.  I can say that the Minnesota Wild center, who has been out of play for a month, has been skating on his own since breaking his leg on November 16, 2007 when Vancouver Canucks defenseman, Mattias Ohlund, slashed him in the shin with a two-handed swing that earned him a four-game suspension.  Unfortunately, his skating time was cut short after just a few minutes when he began experiencing pain in the back of his lower leg.  "Coach Jacques Lemaire said he hoped to have the Finnish star back within the next two weeks, but Koivu was wary of putting a timetable on his return."  "It’s been so long, I forgot his name," Lemaire said, jokingly.

Bryan McCabe Out for 6-8 Weeks

The Toronto Maple Leafs can’t be happy about losing defenseman, Bryan McCabe, to a hand injury for at least 6-8 weeks.  He had surgery on Monday to repair the three broken bones in his left hand.  He was injured when he was checked into the boards by Montreal Canadiens forward, Andrei Kostitsyn last Saturday.  "It was not a clean play," Maple Leafs head coach Paul Maurice said.

Brendan Morrison Out for 3 Months

Vancouver Canucks forward, Brendan Morrison, has undergone surgery to repair damage done to his right wrist when he was checked into the boards during a pre-season game on September 26, 2007.  He will be sidelined for about 12 weeks.  "Now it is just a matter of being patient," Morrison said. "It is significant time…. It just got to the point where I felt I was becoming a liability on the ice," he said. "Especially in our zone… I could not push guys, I couldn’t lean on guys, I couldn’t engage in any type of battle. I knew it was time to get something done."

Prior to this, Morrison had played 542 consecutive games, dating back to Feb. 27, 2000 – the longest active run in the NHL.  That is amazing!!!!