Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin successfully underwent reconstructive knee surgery, the team announced Tuesday afternoon.
Alexei Emelin injury: Canadiens defenseman undergoes reconstructive surgery
The status of Alexei Emelin was updated after successfully undergoing reconstructive knee surgery.
USA TODAY Sports
Emelin sustained a season-ending injury in a game against the Boston Bruins at the start of April. Emelin was attempting to hit Bruins forward Milan Lucic but ended up receiving the worst of the blow. He was forced to leave the game after the incident.
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The Canadiens later announced that Emelin had torn a ligament in his left knee and would miss the remaining portion of the 2013 season. On Tuesday, the reconstructive procedure repaired the ACL and MCL in his knee. He will require approximately six months of rehabilitation, which means he will likely miss the start of the 2013-14 regular season.
In 38 games in 2013, the 26-year-old contributed 12 points (three goals, nine assists). Emelin was averaging 19:40 of ice-time per game, which included an average of 2:11 on the penalty kill.
Many believe the Canadiens’ struggles at the tail-end of the season were impacted by Emelin’s injury. Despite winning the Northeast Division, Montreal fell to the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Of course, the team was overwhelmed with several injuries, which certainly played a factor.
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