Surprise! DP Has Mild Concussions
March 30th, 2007 by murph
The Islanders have fessed up to the worst kept secret in hockey these days…that goaltender Rick DiPietro suffered a concussion on March 13th when he collided with Montreal’s Steve Begin. What you might not know is that DP actually suffered two concussions, thanks to Rangers’ pest Sean Avery last Sunday.
The head injuries goaltender Rick DiPietro suffered March 13 in Montreal and again last Sunday in a home game against the Rangers were diagnosed as mild concussions, Islanders general manager Garth Snow now admits. But DiPietro’s condition is not considered career-threatening, and Snow maintains he was not rushed back into action prematurely after the first concussion.
DiPietro did not accompany the Islanders on their flight to Buffalo yesterday for tonight’s game at HSBC Arena because he still is suffering the classic symptoms of a concussion - headaches, diminished mental acuity and some nausea and dizziness. If those symptoms subside and DiPietro subsequently passes a neuro-psychological exam, he still could return to play some or all of the five regular-season games remaining after the Sabres match.
DiPietro wanted to return two games after the original concussion, at Florida, but the medical staff made him wait three more days until March 20 at Tampa Bay. Asked if that was premature, Snow said, “No. He was diagnosed with a mild concussion. His CT scan was fine, he had six days of rest, and he was monitored by the medical staff. He had no complaints leading up to the games.”
DiPietro played the next four games, going 2-0-2 with eight goals allowed on 122 shots. Then he was involved in a pileup in which Rangers forward Sean Avery landed on DiPietro’s head before several other players piled on. He also took a shot off the facemask. After that game, DiPietro complained of headaches and was held out Tuesday against the Devils.
The bottom line is that DP did not make the trip to Buffalo tonight, Mike Dunham will start in net again.
Tom Says
you hear that? it’s the sound of the season falling out from under our feet.
Mar 30th, 2007 at 11:08 am
Steve Says
The article “Concussion Management in Organized Sports” lays out very specific guidelines for how long a player must sit out of the game for various levels of concussion. (http://www.headbraininjuries.com/concussion-management-sports) I think he probably should have been sidelined for two weeks for his own safety.
Aug 24th, 2008 at 7:30 pm