Lingering concussion issue: Chicago Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews aims for playoff return-NHL News
Chicago Blackhawks’ captain and centre, Jonathan Toews, has confirmed to be out of the squad for the season-closing game against Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, April 07, 2012.
It will be his 22nd straight miss of the season since he suffered a concussion problem.
The team had hoped for him to rejoin the squad for the last game of the season, but he has ruled himself out now.
Toews had been skating on his own and working hard on his recovery for the last couple of weeks and the team as well as the player himself were optimistic about his return in the closing period of the season.
Earlier, the player was said to be alright and not experiencing any concussion-like symptoms.
However, now he has reported return of the problem.
The team now hopes to have the player back in the beginning of the playoffs in a week’s time. His presence in the squad is going to be crucial to their wins in the second round.
Blackhawks’ coach, Joel Quenneville, said of the player:
"It would've been nice to get him in a game, but Game 1 of the playoffs is way more meaningful than [this] game. We have five full days here [before the playoffs start]. Let's side with caution."
With only a game to play before the conclusion of the regular season, Blackhawks have already made it through to the playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
In an interview with the NHL Insider, Jonathan Toews said he was hopeful of returning to the side in a week’s time.
He said things were moving in the right direction for him and remains on the course for a comeback.
The player said he was almost ready for the Saturday game, but the miss has now allowed him another four days to work on his fitness.
He also admitted to the interviewer that he did not feel hundred per cent fit. He did not say directly that he was experiencing symptoms, but conceded suffering the ‘same things’.
Since concussion is the most unpredictable injury, the player admitted it was not in his control to fully recover and regain full fitness even though he was doing whatever he can to return to the game as quickly as possible.
It is probably the lowest point of the player’s career and he seems to be in difficulty to cope with the situation but lacking options to assess and explain it.
He said while walking, working out on the ice or some training off the ice, the same unexplainable feelings keep occurring and returning to him. This is something that brings him down whenever he thinks of the game, he added.
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