Chicago Blackhawks term Marian Hossa as OK to play -NHL Injury Update
After being knocked out cold by Phoenix Coyotes’ Raffi Torres during the 2012 National Hockey League (NHL) Stanley Cup Finals in Game 3 of the Western Conference quarterfinals, Chicago Blackhawks have finally cleared Marian Hossa as fit to play on Wednesday, December 12, 2012.
Hossa suffered a playoffs ending severe concussion that seriously hindered the Blackhawks performance as they missed out on having captain Jonathan Toews playing in full capacity as well. Chicago ultimately went on to lose the series as Phoenix made it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune was the one to reveal the news via Twitter, which will now mean that he will not continue to be compensated with a salary, which he had been getting throughout the lockout due to his injured status.
Raffi Torres, the Phoenix player who made the hit, was handed down a historic 25-game suspension due to the eye opening attack on Hossa, ultimately downplaying the Coyotes as they struggled against Los Angeles Kings in the conference finals.
The 33-year-old right winger for the Chicago Blackhawks was picked up by the Ottawa Senators as the 12th overall back in round-one of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. He has played with a number of teams throughout his 14-season long career, including the Senators, Atlanta Thrasher, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks.
In his first season with Chicago, he was a major factor in them winning the Stanley Cup as the veteran potted 15 points (3 goals, 12 assists) in 22 games played in the third consecutive Stanley Cup Finals following an appearance with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings.
In a total of 978 games played thus far, Hossa boasts 904 points (417 goals, 487 assists), making him one of the best in the league, which can also be seen by his huge 12-year, $63.3 million contact that Chicago awarded him with signing him on prior to the 2009-2010 regular season.
Updates on Hossa’s status should be expected in the next few days and upcoming week as he gets back on the ice to practice sharpen up his game.
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