One of the more unfortunate situations in professional sports is when an athlete sustains multiple injuries in a short period of time. New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal is one such individual experiencing this, as Alain Vigneault confirmed on Tuesday morning that Staal sustained a concussion on Saturday night.
Marc Staal injury: Rangers defenseman diagnosed with concussion
Marc Staal has been diagnosed with a concussion. This extends an unfortunate string of injuries for the defenseman.
Trevor Ruszkowksi-USA TODAY Spor
Staal sustained the injury after New Jersey Devils forward Reid Boucher connected on a hit that made contact with Staal's chin. Vigneault stated in his post-game availability that Staal didn't feel quite right and that the team was closely monitoring his situation. His symptoms included neck issues and some unidentified developments, which were assumed to be related to a concussion. Those assumptions have now proven to be accurate.
Vigneault expressed that the team was cautiously monitoring Staal because of his history with head-related injuries. The defenseman sustained a concussion in February of 2011 and missed 27 regular season games after fracturing his orbital bone last season. While the team’s physician’s believe this concussion isn’t as serious as his previous one, it’s still a concussion and comparing its severity is inconsequential.
We’ve seen time and time again, that concussions are volatile issues that rarely follow a pattern. With that in mind, no timetable has been released. Several reports during the offseason indicated that Hockey Canada would like to have a healthy Staal on its blue line for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi. Whether that still remains a possibility also remains to be seen.
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