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Skinner skips AHL camp in part due to last season’s concussion

Jeff Skinner

Carolina Hurricanes center Jeff Skinner (53) celebrates after teammate Erik Cole scored a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Tampa, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011. Skinner also scored a goal in the third period. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

AP

Jeff Skinner will not be playing with the AHL Charlotte Checkers for now, and it was a mutual decision between him and the Hurricanes, based on Chip Alexander’s report.

“The decision was made that Jeff could go to Charlotte at some point in time but not necessarily at this time,” Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford said, according to the Raleigh News & Observer.

Part of the reason Skinner will not be playing in the AHL is because of the concussion that forced him to miss 16 games last season. Rutherford didn’t see the need for Skinner to take part in preseason games with the Checkers. Another problem is that Charlotte will play on the road quite a bit at the start of the season.

“All of those things factored into the course we took,” Rutherford said.

Skinner still has the option to join Charlotte at another time if the lockout drags on.