PHOTO BY SCOTT VANKOUGHNETT
When a player receives a concussion, it is unknown how long the recovery time will be.
Ask guys like Brett Lindros, whose career ended after his second concussion in eight days back in 1995. Or Keith Primeau, who had to retire due to multiple concussions sustained from 2000-2006.
This season already, as old as 16 games for some teams, there have been multiple players who have suffered concussions stemming from checks to the head.
One of them being Maple Leafs forward Viktor Stalberg.
Stalberg, who signed an entry-level contract at the end of last season, cracked the Leafs lineup after a very productive pre-season. Stalberg was second only to Mike Comrie in pre-season scoring with six goals and nine points in eight games played.
The major question was; could Stalberg keep up this point production in the grind of the regular season?
In his first game against the Montreal Canadiens, Stalberg got his first NHL point on Matt Stajan’s second goal of the season,and played extremely well, impressing many media members and Leaf fans in the process.
Two games later however, Ottawa Senators’ defenceman Anton Volchenkov made Stalberg one of the early season concussion statistics, laying him out with a fierce check as he was carrying the puck through the neutral zone.
Stalberg came back after a week-long rest , but was un-productive and laxidasical in his next five; punching his ticket to the minors for a stint with the Marlies of the AHL.
This wasn’t his first in the AHL. Stalberg played two games with the Marlies in last season’s playoffs, chipping in with one assist.
He continued that trend in his first game last Friday night, notching an assist in helping the Marlies get back on track and beat the Adirondack Phantoms 3-0.
Catching up with Stalberg after the game, he mentioned that he noticed some differences between the NHL and the AHL.
“It’s obviously a lot different, and will take me some time to get used to it,” he said. “The skill is ramped up a couple of notches in the NHL, but the guys down here work and compete very hard.”
Some pointed out that Stalberg lost a step in the first few games back from his injury. He agreed, but pointed out that the Leafs – and coach Ron Wilson specifically – didn’t say to concentrate on one part of his game directly while in the minors.
“I don’t think Ron is a man of very many words when it comes to that,” Stalberg said. “He just told me to try and get back to how I was playing in the first couple of regular season games, and to try and shake the hit out of my system by moving my feet a little bit more. He told me if I do that, I’ll be back up – to the NHL – sometime soon.”
Then, the obvious question; if he was feeling any lasting effects of the concussion.
“No not really,” he said. “I mean you’re obviously going to be a little more cautious and maybe take an extra look which could leave you a step behind sometimes. You have to be ready to take a hit at this level too, I just have to get more used to it.”
Stalberg seemed to have taken a lot from his first regular season experience.
In his next game, the following Sunday, Stalberg put on a spectacular performance. He scored had four points, scoring twice – including the empty net clincher, in a Marlies 5-3 win over the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins.
Many in Leafs nation – including Stalberg himself, hope that he doesn’t get too used to the AHL.
For OpenIceHockey.com, I’m Jesse Michael
Topics: Anton Volchenkov, Brett Lindros, Concussions, Keith Primeau, Matt Stajan, Montreal Canadiens, Ron Wilson, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Marlies, Viktor Stalberg
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