Getting over concussions for Wild forward Guillaume Latendresse has been a tough thing to do lately. He’s missed 17 games in a row after suffering his second concussion of the year and while he’s on the road to recovery now, he’s in that awkward stage of figuring out just how to go about doing normal hockey things while not getting hurt again.
Michael Russo of the Star Tribune talks to Latendresse about how he’s trying to do things to get back on the ice and help the Wild make the playoffs.
“I have no headaches. I feel good. I eat good. I sleep good, so whenever I get cleared for contact, after that, why not? Why not?” Latendresse said. “Even if I wait, if my head is fragile, if it’s not ready, I’m going to get hurt again. So why wait? Get in the game, and maybe the first few games, get more cautious, get the feel of the game instead of trying to be right in it.
“I think I have to be more intelligent.”
That’s a rather devil-may-care attitude from a guy who’s had his fair share of injury problems throughout his career in Montreal and Minnesota. When he’s playing, Latendresse is a sniping physical forward. When he’s out of the lineup, however, the Wild are sorely lacking his presence on the wing.
Being smarter about choosing when to get back on the ice and when to make a hit might be a good idea for a guy that hasn’t played more than 70 games in a season in two years.