The NHL opened up action last Friday, and with the skating and shooting, come injuries. Hockey's speed is only one element that makes the injuries across the sport unique. One of the others is how they deal with injuries, both on the ice and in the training room.
There's a tradition of hiding injuries in the NHL that goes back even further than the Sutter family. The "upper body" and "lower body" injuries that hockey will admit to are often deciding factors in wins and losses. This season, it's likely to be even more key, as the short schedule will test conditioning and depth in ways we've never seen.
It is important to note that lockouts in the NBA and NFL did not increase injury stats in any meaningful way, but that is a broad measure. There was clearly an effect in certain cases, especially at the start of the season.
So let's take a look around the league at the injuries that could affect the way several teams start the shortened season.
Special thanks to the Sporting News' Jesse Spector for assistance selecting these players.
Begin Slideshow
...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Will Carroll
NHL Returns: 6 Most Important Injuries to Watch
January 22nd, 2013 by Will Carroll Leave a reply »
Advertisement