Common Sense Takes a Back Seat

We all know the Flyers have been out of it since Christmas.

And yet, a few players who have been wracked with injury late in the season somehow keep popping back up for more punishment at the time when a return matters least.

For instance, Mike Knuble. He shattered his orbital bone in that scary collision with Brendan Shanahan in New York on February 17th, missed a month, and now he's back playing but limited by the thick, college-style full face-cage he has to wear for protection.

I understand as a professional, your duty is to recover quickly and get back to helping your squad, but this year's Flyers model is one bad hit away from becoming an exploding Ford Pinto.

Todd Fedoruk. Now that the opposite side of his face was brutalized in that "fight" with Colton Orr last week, Fridge says he doesn't know when he'll come back, and maybe it won't be this year. Ya think?!?! All useless debate about the worth of fighting aside, it's pretty clear that if Fedoruk had come out and said he's going to rehab the whole year and come back next season if the Flyers want him or not, nobody would have blamed him. No point in being chivalrous and leaving the answer ambiguous for a team that has won 20 games all year, and which besides, sports the NHL's penalty-minute leader in a healthy Ben Eager.

Mike Richards. He already missed a huge chunk of time at mid-season with one of those pesky stomach muscle pulls that seemed to defy treatment. Opting for surgery, he returned in a month, but skated very gingerly the whole stretch up until he hurt his shoulder sliding into the boards last week against Florida.

Even though the injury was minor, why put him back into the lineup at this point? He's got a roster spot for next year and some push as a future captain, so why not work Mike York for all he's worth and bring up Ryan Potulny for a couple showcase starts with the team?

On to Simon Gagne. According to Tim Panaccio, the club's leading goal-scorer has a slight bulge in his groin area similar to a hernia, something which troubled him all through the season four years ago. Although he will not return this season, there is talk that Gagne is holding off surgery until later in the Spring, even though doctors recommend this type of thing be taken care of almost immediately. Maybe someone close to him ought to explain in clear, plain French that delaying these things will cost him rehab time in the summer - which costs practice time in training camp - which could mean a very slow start next year.

The common thread here seems to be that hockey players seem to have an innate drive to ignore or play through pain, resorting to drastic measures to come back and contribute in the present, to the point where it becomes damaging to themselves and the team in the future. Sometimes personal safety has to take a front seat, even if a few lonely voices question one's willingness to sacrifice for the good of the team.

There should be no heroes on the NHL's worst team. If things are going to get markedly better in 2007-2008, why not hold out and be the healthiest you can be on a team which might have a shot to contend?