One could call it a bad break.
Winnipeg Jets defenceman Ville Heinola, who appeared set to finally make the team’s opening night roster, will be out long-term after he suffered a fractured ankle in their final pre-season game on Thursday.
Heinola got tangled up along the boards with Erik Brannstrom in the first period of their 3-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators. He fell awkwardly, twisting his left ankle as he fell. He had to crawl just to retrieve his stick and could barely put any weight on his leg as he was helped to the dressing room. He will be out a minimum of eight weeks.
“They keep telling us a fracture is better than a high ankle sprain,” Jets head coach Rick Bowness said. “Regardless, either one of them, they’re going to be out for a long time, so you’re looking at — I have no idea, I’m not a doctor — eight weeks, eight to 10, 12 weeks, who knows.”
Surgery is a possibility but the injury still needs further evaluation.
“The next step, we’re not 100 per cent sure yet, probably be determined later today or tomorrow morning,” Bowness said. “But as I said last night, he’s out for a while, but there is a fracture there.”
Heinola will return home to Finland to rehab the injury.
“There’s no sense him sitting around here for that long of time,” Bowness said. “So that first couple of weeks is better to be surrounded by his family. And then when we need him to come back and close to start working out or whatever, then we’ll get him back.”
Heinola has already been placed on injured reserve, leaving the Jets with 26 players in training camp.
The Jets open the regular season on Wednesday against the Calgary Flames.
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