Canucks' Raymond Not Sure He'll Play Again

[dh1333]

VANCOUVER — Three months after suffering a broken vertebrae in the Stanley Cup final, Vancouver Canucks winger Mason Raymond can't say for sure that he will play again.But he felt lucky to be be able to walk into his meeting with reporters on Thursday and is hopeful that he will meet initial projections and resume his National Hockey League career by mid-season.

"At the end of the day, it could have been worse," Raymond said. "I'm lucky to be standing here today with arms and legs moving. I'm still having some discomfort with some soft tissue, but it's coming along well and I'm happy with the process.

"Whenever you have something in that [spinal] area, you have a serous risk of having additional problems. So, yeah, I feel lucky."

The 26-year-old was injured in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup in Boston when Bruins defenceman Johnny Boychuk finished his check by shoving Raymond backwards into the boards. Raymond was bent over in a vulnerable position as Boychuk had his stick between the Canuck's legs.

Raymond said Boychuk contacted him in July by text message. Ironically — or hypocritically — Bruins winger Nathan Horton complained to reporters in August that Canuck Aaron Rome contacted him only by text message to apologize for a late hit that saw Horton concussed and Rome suspended the rest of the series.

"I heard from Johnny in late July via a text message," Raymond confirmed. "He said he didn't mean to [cause injury]. That's hockey. Incidents happen. Obviously I'm frustrated not to the finish the game or the season, nor am I starting the season here. I'll move on and get stronger for it."

Raymond refused to say how he responded to Boychuk's text, nor provide much detail about his rehabilitation other than to stress it is a long process involving several stages.

His back brace was removed in late July and Raymond said he is able to work on his conditioning but is doing no heavy lifting. He hasn't yet skated.

Raymond said the injury is "weird" and unlike anything he has experienced.

"I'm moving very well now compared to what I was," he said. "You believe in your mind that you're going to keep getting better and you forward."

No penalty was called on Boychuk.

 

[germany00]

he's a young guy, give him half the season to heal and he'll be back out there before you know it

 

[dh1333]

he's a young guy, give him half the season to heal and he'll be back out there before you know it

It's hard to say since its a very serious back injury. There's a good chance he may never play professionally again but who knows really.

Also SMH at horton complaining about Rome only sending him a text message apology when Boychuk did the same thing for Raymond when he broke his back and Raymond didn't complain.

 

[germany00]

but Boychuck didnt even mean to even hit him lol, he kind of came at him in a weird angle. Rome purposely blind-sided horton.

 

[dh1333]

but Boychuck didnt even mean to even hit him lol, he kind of came at him in a weird angle. Rome purposely blind-sided horton.

He didn't let up on him when he was driving him into the boards when he was in a vulnerable position so it seems pretty intentional to me..

 

[germany00]

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! Raymond was going into the boards and boychuck was just going in with him, it wasnt intentional that he tried to hit him in that position! he was going in to battle along tha boards, but Raymond was in a weird position, Boychuck didnt even try to hit him in that position, he was just going in for the boardplay

 

[dh1333]

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! Raymond was going into the boards and boychuck was just going in with him, it wasnt intentional that he tried to hit him in that position! he was going in to battle along tha boards, but Raymond was in a weird position, Boychuck didnt even try to hit him in that position, he was just going in for the boardplay

The puck wasn't even there so there was no boardplay...

 

[germany00]

the puck went right by him, and he stopped raymond from getting the puck, he didnt just try to drill him into the boards lol

 

[dh1333]

the puck went right by him, and he stopped raymond from getting the puck, he didnt just try to drill him into the boards lol

How didn't he try? He pushed him into the boards after the puck was long gone. It wasn't necessarily a really dirty hit but neither was the Rome hit, which was borderline. I just think that its a douche move to complain about only getting a text from Rome after he suffered a minor concussion and Raymond isn't complaining at all about receiving a text message from Boychuk after he accidentally broke his back.

 

[germany00]

he was already in motion towards the board with boychuck when the puck was gone, they started going towards the boards when the puck was there lol

 

[dh1333]

he was already in motion towards the board with boychuck when the puck was gone, they started going towards the boards when the puck was there lol

Yeah and he continued to push Raymond into the boards even though he was in an incredibly awkward position.

 

[germany00]

lol ya, no shit, but he couldnt tell that raymond was in an awkward position

Unlike the hit on horton, where Rome knew he couldnt see him, and that he was late

 

[dh1333]

lol ya, no shit, but he couldnt tell that raymond was in an awkward position

Unlike the hit on horton, where Rome knew he couldnt see him, and that he was late

He could tell he was in an awkward situation, he's not blind lmao.

Also the Rome hit would have been clean a year or two ago and it wasn't super late.

 

[playmaker7]

You can't rush these types of things. He needs to take it slow and be smart about it, but it's possible he could hit the ice again.

You know he wants to try it out at least.