The Blackhawks have changed their tune on Jeremy Roenick’s knee injury, but if they’re not singing “It’s Crying Time Again” any longer, they’re not singing “Tomorrow,” either. Simply put, the Hawks, who originally listed Roenick as “out for the season,” now list him as “out indefinitely.”
It all depends on the second MRI that will be taken next Monday when Roenick returns from Florida. “He has a torn anterior cruciate ligament,” explained media relations director Jim DeMaria, “but won’t know how badly it’s torn until they have the test results.
“If it’s torn less than 50 percent then it would be similar to Brent Grieve’s injury.”
Grieve recently returned after missing six weeks. If Roenick were to miss only six weeks, he could possibly return for the second round of the playoffs. But coach Darryl Sutter isn’t counting on having him this season.
He is encouraged that “if he doesn’t need surgery he’ll for sure be back for training camp” next fall.
Russell update: Defenseman Cam Russell’s broken left hand will keep him out longer than the Hawks originally thought. Russell was injured the same day as Roenick, but it was thought he could return in two weeks. Two weeks later, he is sporting a hard cast, which he must wear for four weeks before switching to a soft cast.
Ref apologizes: Defenseman Steve Smith says his game misconduct for instigating Sunday’s big third-period brawl was rescinded when referee Kerry Fraser determined he was not the instigator after all.
“Kerry came to me and apologized to me after the game,” Smith said. “A lot of good that does now. We could have had a power play. That’s the reason I stayed out of it.”
Dallas’ Shane Churla was suspended four games for his part in the brawl, the NHL announced Monday.