Chicago Blackhawks lose forward Ben Smith for remainder of season -NHL Update
At a time when Chicago Blackhawks can use all the fire power they can get, the Western Conference club lost young right winger, Ben Smith, due to him needing to undergo surgery in order to repair a right hip labral tear along with a hernia.
Smith was expected to go for the surgery but recently, it has also been learnt that the procedure would not allow him to make a comeback on the ice for at least 16 weeks at the minimum and even more if required.
“Ben Smith has suffered a right hip labral tear and a hernia. He will undergo endoscopic surgery next Thursday (March 15) to repair both issues. We anticipate a full recovery in approximately 16 weeks,” said Chicago Blackhawks head team physician, Dr. Michael
Terry.
Looking at the timeframe, it is nowhere near making it in time to complete the 2011-2012 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season with Chicago and it is reported that Smith may not even be able to take part in the playoffs as well.
The 23-year-old is expected to undergo the surgery on Thursday, March 15, 2012.
Drafted as the 169th overall pick during round-six of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by Chicago Blackhawks, the Winston-Salem, North Carolina native, has appeared in two seasons with his original team thus far.
Smith played six games last season and had a single goal with a plus-minus rating of one and spent the remainder of the season with Chicago’s affiliates in the minor league American Hockey League (AHL), the Rockford Icehogs.
This season, Ben Smith played 13 games, in which he had two goals for a career high and could have raised the bar but with the surgery now in play, the youngster will have to continue next time around.
Fortunately, a full recovery is expected and rejoining the Chicago Blackhawks for a breakthrough 2012-2013 regular season will definitely be on the mind of Ben Smith.
As Chicago hopes to make another championship run for the Stanley Cup, not having a backup like Ben Smith could certainly affect their playing. It will be interesting to see how Blackhawks manage to fill that gap in the upcoming days.
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