The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has reported that St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk underwent his scheduled abdominal surgery on Thursday, February 5th, at the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia.
Last Sunday Shattenkirk left the game against the Washington Capitals early in the first period, after what looked like an elbow to the head by Capitals captain, Alexander Ovechkin.
He went after Ovechkin, ending what could have been a breakaway by the right winger who scored two goals and one assist that game. However, Shattenkirk’s aggressive defense ended in an injury for the NHL All-Star.
It was one where he just went to hit Ovechkin and dragged his foot there, and obviously hurt his abdominal to the area where he’s going to need the surgery. – Blues GM Doug Armstrong
Shattenkirk slid into the wall, and after resting for a moment on the ice, headed straight for the bench, and once there, to the locker room. He did not return for the rest of the game and the Blues put out a statement the next day saying he had experienced an abdominal injury, had scheduled surgery for that week and would be week-to-week afterwards.
His surgeon was Dr. William Myers, who is listed on the Institute’s website as being an expert in athletic pubalgia injuries, more commonly known as a sports hernia. He specializes in tears to the ball and socket of the hip joint.
Causeway Crowd
St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong did not offer any specifics on Shattenkirk’s injury, but did comment briefly on how it happened to the press.
“It was one where he just went to hit Ovechkin and dragged his foot there, and obviously hurt his abdominal to the area where he’s going to need the surgery,” Armstrong was quoted as saying.
From the information available, it is likely that Shattenkirk tore an abdominal muscle that simply had to be sewn up. While his physical therapy would have started soon after completion of the surgery, his week-to-week time frame will likely take nearer to a month.
Shattenkirk’s surgery interrupted a Norris-trophy caliber season, the trophy awarded to the top defender in the league that season. He has earned 40 points over 49 games, eight goals, and a trip to the NHL All-Star games in Columbus, Ohio, where his team (Team Foligno) came in second (out of two. So…they lost).
In fact, Team Foligno let in a record number of goals, as you can see in the video below. But, as we all know, the NHL All-Star game isn’t really about showcasing your amazing defensive skills, and Shattenkirk took that to heart, taking home two points of his own.
But although the All-Star game is an honor for many NHL players, it’s the trophies that are handed out at the end of the season that are taken the most seriously.
Shattenkirk hasn’t been knocked out of the running for the Norris just yet, as the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association does often take into account interrupted seasons when balloting takes place, but a long recovery will certainly lessen his chances of making the short list.
As such, we’re hoping for a quick recovery for Shattenkirk, and a terrible month or so for defenders like Keith, Weber and Josi.