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Bike crash pauses Laperriere’s Ironman push

Atlanta Thrashers v Philadelphia Flyers

of the Philadelphia Flyers of the Atlanta Thrashers on January 28, 2010 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Len Redkoles

Nerve damage to his eye and concussion issues cut Ian Laperriere’s NHL career short, but that didn’t kill his need to compete.

The former Philadelphia Flyers tough guy seemed primed to compete in Quebec’s Ironman North American Championship on Aug. 18, but that dream scuttled when a bicycle crash caused his concussion symptoms to return.

Laperriere admitted to NHL.com that the accident (which happened two weeks ago) might just bring his Ironman push to an end.

“That’s what is so depressing right now, I want to cry,” Laperriere said. “I felt great. I have issues with my eye but that’s from the nerve damage from when I took that puck. But for what I’m feeling now, I haven’t had that in a year-and-a-half or two years … It happened two weeks ago and I was hoping two weeks ago I would get better and haven’t felt that much better. I feel like I’m back where I was in 2010 in the playoffs, just hoping to be 100 percent again.”

He still holds out hope that he can participate, although the fact that the event takes place on Wednesday probably means it’s now out of reach.

It’s an added shame that he generated more than $13K for charitable causes leading up to the event. Still it doesn’t appear that Laperriere is ready to quit just yet.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins