Chicago Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews safe in car accident, yet to recover from earlier injury-NHL News
The Chicago Blackhawks said on Thursday, February 23, 2012, that their captain, Jonathan Toews, was feeling better, hoping his recovery from an upper body injury does not take a longer period of time.
Toews was lucky to have safely escaped an injury scare following a minor car accident.
The player, who is already out of the team owing to an unidentified upper body injury was due to miss Thursday’s game, and now he might need a couple of more days before declaring his fitness.
A team spokesman said:
"Jonathan Toews was in a minor one-car collision in downtown Chicago this morning while driving himself to the United Center. He was not injured."
The spokesman did not elaborate Toews’ comeback chances for the next game. He has already missed two straight games after getting injured on Tuesday, February 21, 2012.
Blackhawks’ coach, Joel Quenneville, said that the player was progressing, but refrained from commenting about the timeline of his return.
Quenneville said:
"He's progressing. I guess we'll say that's where we're at."
The coach did not specify either if the player would be joining them for the weekend’s West Coast trip for a couple of games.
Apparently, the team management is sure that the car accident has not aggravated problems for the captain and that he was carrying on the recovery from an earlier injury.
In any case, the absence of Jonathan Toews does not bode well into the team’s aim of taking a healthy and fit squad into the weekend’s games.
The situation is going to be particularly worse for the team as they are already without their defenseman, Steve Montador.
Montador is suffering from concussion symptoms and has not played for last seven games. His recovery and return still remains doubtful, and there is a possibility that he might sit out the entire current NHL season.
The team’s coach said of the player:
"Be nice to give you a timeline on it but we don't have the precise forecast of exactly where it is. He's starting to feel better. Hoping not too long.”
Blackhawks will be aiming for fifth successive victory in their next game and only can hope that the couple of injury scares do not dent their chances.
For the time being, the coach, in the remarks, did not touch the possibility of any notable reshuffling in the squad at the positions of the missing players.
He also did not inform if the team was planning to hire new players as the NHL trade market nears closure for a year after the deadline of February 27, 2012.
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