Lehtonen out 6 weeks

According to AJC, Lehtonen out 4-6 weeks. The MRI taken Friday, and extensively reviewed, reveals a long-term groin strain, different from the one that kept him out for the majority of the 05-06 season. However, this is not a tear, which is amazingly good news. However, the recovery time for said strain will be on the very-high side of 4-6 weeks. The strain was not one that occurred to an integral core muscle (also amazingly good), but being that he's a goalie and uses those muscle much more than your average hockey player, it will be much closer to 6 weeks, if not longer, before his return, which will be in December, minimum.

Hedberg will take over as the team's #1 goalie in the interim, with Pavelec getting his first NHL start soon, likely on the upcoming road trip.


Typical groin strains for hockey players occur to their abductor longus muscle. We don't know which particular muscle Kari has strained, but the fact that it's not a core muscle is fan-fucking-tastic. Typical recovery should include physical therapy and (gasp!) yoga. Luckily, it tends to not involve surgery, from which recovery can be long and painful.

Obviously, not having Kari in net for (likely) the remainder of the calendar year is a huge blow to not only the team, but to the team's psyche as well. Without him backstopping them, and uncertainty about Pavelec (at least from the players' standpoint), and Hedberg having been conditioned for the past year and a half to be a backup, this is huge cause for concern. Now is the time for the team to step up and play their game the way they can.

To learn more about athletic groin strains, please visit the following sites:

• Strength Cats
• Athletic Advisor (very medically technical)
• The ACC: Chronic Groin Strains
• Sports Injury Center: "The Hockey Groin" (PDF)

We will be talking soon to some friends who work as athletic trainers, to get a better overview of the type of training and recovery Kari is facing, as well as his possibilities for setbacks, given his history with groin strains.