WINNIPEG – Patrik Laine could return to the Winnipeg Jets‘ roster a week after he stops experiencing symptoms from his concussion.
How long it will take to reach that point though varies player-to-player, according to a Winnipeg concussion expert.
“It could be within a day, two days or even months,” said Dr. Glen Bergeron of the Heads Up Concussion Institute.
“When he’s symptom free, the clock starts to tick. Typically that takes seven days but sometimes it can go a little quicker.”
Laine suffered the head injury in the third period of Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The NHL rookie scoring leader was looking down at the puck when Sabres defenceman Jake McCabe levelled him with an open-ice hit. Laine appeared to hit the back of his head on the ice as he fell.
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Once his symptoms disappear, Laine will go through a step-by-step protocol before he’s given the green light to play.
The 18-year-old forward will progressively increase his level of activity during each stage. His return will be delayed if at any point he feels ill.
“If they move him up a step and he gets symptoms, he goes back to the level he came from,” Bergeron said.
“So if he was skating on his own, goes out with the team and feels like he can’t tolerate the type of movement going on around him, he goes back on the rink on his own.”
If the Jets rush Laine’s recovery, he could become vulnerable to more severe symptoms with a much less impact. The team must also make sure he has assurance in himself before he steps into a game.
“You want him to have all the confidence in the world that he’s safe,” Bergeron said. “You have to move him into that kind of direction. If he’s physically, mentally and emotionally confident, he’s going to be able to return to his normal level of activity.”
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