Anaheim Ducks’ Joffrey Lupul to return after blood infections
Injuries can keep National Hockey League players out of action for long periods of time. Some injuries keep players out of the line-up from anywhere between a day to a few months, and
for Anaheim Ducks forward Joffrey Lupul, his injuries have shelved him for almost a year.
It’s been exactly 348 days since Lupul has played, and the last game he participated in before going down with an injury is still fresh in his mind.
“Yeah, 8 December (2009) against Dallas. Scored on a breakaway. That was it. I was dead after that,” Lupul told The Vancouver Sun.
Nine days after that game was played, Lupul underwent back surgery to repair a herniated disc. The surgery was successful, but Lupul would later suffer from a pair of blood infections
that required immediate attention.
Almost a year later, the 27-year-old right winger has made a full recovery, and is ready to return to the Ducks’ line-up. Hey may have to undergo a conditioning stint with the Syracuse
Crunch before that, but the native of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta is eager to play anywhere, just as long as he can return to the ice.
“I’ll play anywhere,” said Lupul. “It’s been one thing after another. It has been frustrating . . . I’d be lying if I wasn’t saying, ‘Is this it?’ You can’t help it when those thoughts
creep into your head.”
“I mean, you try and stay positive, but when it’s six months post-surgery and you can hardly move, it’s not a good feeling.”
Lupul says that after having a long time to recover from the surgery and the infections, he is ready for prime-time once again.
“I feel strong. I don’t feel any slower than anybody else on the ice. Once I get out and start really getting hit, I might have a different answer, of course.”
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