Red Wings' captain out with eye injury
Steve Yzerman won't be playing anytime soon after a 41/2-hour surgery.
DETROIT (AP) -- Detroit Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman is out indefinitely after undergoing 41/2 hours of surgery for a scratched cornea and broken bone just below his left eye.
Yzerman is expected to make a full recovery, the Red Wings said in a statement Sunday, adding that he will be unavailable to comment for a week.
Yzerman was hurt when he was hit in the face with a puck during Detroit's 1-0 loss to Calgary on Saturday night.
He experienced blurred vision in his eye, but that improved after the surgery on his orbital bone.
Yzerman, who will turn 39 on May 9, has a franchise-record 70 playoff goals and 181 points in his 20 seasons with the Red Wings. In regular season games, he's the sixth-leading scorer in NHL history.
He was hit midway through the second period of Game 5 and needed help getting off the ice.
The Red Wings fell behind 1-0 shortly after Yzerman was injured, and that was the only goal of the game. Calgary leads the Western Conference semifinal series 3 games to 2 and can eliminate the top-seeded Red Wings at home tonight.
"He's been a tremendous leader and now it's up to us to step up," center Kris Draper said after practice Sunday. "Let's go out and play a great game for him because he's done so much for us."
Ricochet
The injury came after a shot by Red Wings defenseman Mathieu Schneider ricocheted off someone in front of the Calgary net and hit Yzerman squarely in the face as he stood to the left of the goal.
Yzerman, who doesn't wear a face shield, immediately dropped to the ice. He kicked his legs in pain as he was sprawled out.
After being down for a couple minutes, with the crowd watching in stunned silence, Yzerman was helped to the dressing room as a towel was held near his left eye. He didn't return to the game.
If Detroit fails to advance, Yzerman may have played his last game because of the NHL's looming labor problems. A long lockout could lead to his retirement.
Detroit forward Darren McCarty said Sunday that he hopes the game wasn't Yzerman's last.
"He's been the strength and pillar of this hockey club for longer than I've been here. It'll be in the back of our minds," McCarty said.
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