Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Brian Campbell out 4-5 weeks
The injury woes continue for Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Brian Campbell, who had to sit out the last month of last season's regular season with a broken clavicle, as he will now be out of the Blackhawks
lineup for the next 4-5 weeks.
Campbell sprained his medial collateral ligament in his knee early in the second period of the Blackhawks 5-2 pre-season victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night.
Unlike the incident which broke his clavicle last season, this particular injury is being regarded by Campbell as a bit of a fluke.
"It's pretty frustrating," he said. "There wasn't a lot of contact there. He just hit me the wrong way. I was just kind of up against the boards and kind of sealing the boards, and a guy came in. He didn't
really hit me hard or wasn't trying to hit me too much, but I saw his knee hit directly on mine and it hyper-extended backward. If his knee had been just a little bit to the left or right, it wouldn't have come close. It's just the way he hit me straight on.
(My knee) went straight back and they don't want to move that way."
Although he hasn't taken to the ice, Campbell has been working out to stay in shape and may eventually return wearing a brace with no surgery required.
"(The doctor) thinks it looks really good and there's no other damage in it," Campbell said. "It should heal 100 pe rcent and be ready to go. But it's going to be tough missing the start of the regular
season. I'm pretty disappointed in that. We need to get off to a fast start. Hopefully I'll be back quick."
With Campbell out of the lineup, it should provide an opportunity for 19-year-old Nick Leddy to get some experience. Campbell had seven goals and 31 assists last season as the Blackhawks went on to win
the Stanley Cup.
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