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Ales Hemsky injures his right shoulder, expected to miss up to 10 games

Bruins Oilers Hockey

The Edmonton Oilers’ Ales Hemsky celebrates his goal against the Boston Bruins during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, John Ulan)

AP

While pundits drooled about what his point-per-game potential could bring to a Stanley Cup contending team, I couldn’t help but wonder why so few talking heads discussed just how ridiculously injury prone Edmonton Oilers winger Ales Hemsky is.

Hemsky only played 22 games during the 2009-10 season after a left shoulder injury forced him to undergo surgery. This time around, the slick passer injured his right shoulder thanks to a hit by Nashville Predators rookie defenseman John Blum. The team estimates that he’ll miss two to three weeks with the injury, but on the bright side, coach Tom Renney thinks that “it’s a rotator cuff thing, but it’s not torn.”

He’s already missed 18 games in 10-11 with a litany of chronic injuries.

I used to call Marian Gaborik the Wile E. Coyote of the NHL, but Hemsky might just take his place. Hemsky continues to chase that Road Runner of health, yet misfortune (and a penchant for putting himself in harm’s way) keep leading him to crash head-first into injury traps.

When people discuss injury ravaged players such as the NBA’s Yao Ming, they discuss the notion that some athletes aren’t built for 82-game seasons. Maybe that’s just the sad truth with Hemsky.