Off-seasons are often about recovering from injuries and sometimes surgeries, a reality that may provide some challenges for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Jamie Benn presents the latest justification for teams to keep alternates in mind.
It’s plausible that he’ll be able to play, yet the Dallas Stars acknowledged that his participation is up in the air following core muscle surgery that calls for a recovery window of about six weeks.
The tournament is slated to begin on Sept. 17, so a six-week window would put him in a position to be involved. Still, complications could happen, so it’s wise to admit that they’ll need to revisit the issue later on.
Here’s the official statement via Stars GM Jim Nill:
“Jamie Benn underwent surgery to repair a core muscle injury on Thursday, July 14 at the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia, PA. His operation, performed by Dr. Bill Meyers, went as planned. His full recovery time is expected to be six weeks, putting him on schedule to be ready for the 2016-17 season. Jamie will be re-evaluated after the six-week rehabilitation process, at which time, his availability for the World Cup of Hockey will be determined.”
This isn’t the only Benn story to follow during this summer. File it under “easier said than done,” but the Stars aim to try to sign the all-world forward to a contract extension as he approaches the last year of his current bargain deal.