TimmyTabasco
9-07-06, 2:38 PM
Jason Botchford, The Province
Published: Thursday, September 07, 2006
It took months of rehab. It took agonizing setbacks. It took a discouraging battle with self-doubt.
But now Sami Salo is convinced. The shot is back.
The shot that can stir fear in goalies. The weapon the Canucks -- a team short on heavy hitters -- so desperately need. The 100-plus m.p.h. cannonading slapshot.
"I think it is [as hard as ever]," said Salo, who acknowledged the emotional and physical turmoil he faced late last season when he was haunted by the thought that, just maybe, his partially-torn right pectoral muscle would never fully rebuild. Just maybe, his shot would never be the same.
"In the last part of the season, things weren't looking too bright. Things weren't going the way I wanted," said Salo, who returned to Vancouver on Sunday. "Maybe that was because, obviously, we were trying to get back as soon as possible. Maybe we were putting too much of a load on it."
There were painful setbacks following his Feb. 22 fall at the Winter Olympics. He injured himself playing for Finland, using his right hand as a brace when he tumbled after colliding with a teammate.
"I could feel something wasn't right. I felt really bad. I couldn't feel my arm."
The result was a bewildering muscle tear. For the next two months the 32-year-old struggled through rehab. Two MRIs were encouraging. One week, he felt good. A return seemed in sight. The next week, he couldn't lift his stick. He missed the last 23 games of the season and even considered surgery.
"Not knowing when I was going to be able to play was frustrating," Salo said. "It's different when you have muscles that are torn. It's not easy to say when the muscles are going to [recover]. You can't give an exact date, not even within a week or two."
There was no relief until the Canucks' season ended and he finally had the chance to give the injury what it needed -- rest.
"It certainly got better after I took a few weeks off," Salo said. "That led the body and the muscles to really relax."
But as the defenceman rested in his native Turku and the tear healed, he worried about his shot. It's his bread and butter. He's won the Canucks hardest slapshot contest three years running. Last season, his slapper was clocked at a head-turning 101.6 m.p.h.
He used that shot last year to score nine of his 10 goals with a man advantage, an essential power-play component impossible for opponents to ignore. He had a career-high 33 points in 59 games. Only natural he questioned whether he'd ever have that shot back.
Salo said he got the answer in June. Skating with his two children -- Julia, 9, and Oliver, 3 -- he decided to take a whack at the puck. Oliver fed him passes for one-timers.
"I could feel the shot was back," Salo said. "I didn't shoot too many pucks. I just wanted to try a little bit. It felt good and I knew then there would be no worries about getting it back for August."
Salo said the injury's fully healed and he's been back at his old workout routine without worry for two months now:
"The time off just re-energized it. It's an exciting feeling to be back on the ice."
Source (http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=ada2c6cd-0068-40cf-869c-ca7054747ad2)
Also..
Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, September 07, 2006
Sami Salo knew he was finally on the mend sometime in June when he took his two kids skating. He also took along a puck and a stick and had three-year-old son Oliver feed him some one-timers.
"I didn't shoot too many pucks, but I could feel my shot was back," Salo said Wednesday as he joined his Vancouver Canuck teammates for a workout at Burnaby 8-Rinks. "It felt good. I knew then there was no worries."
Salo, of course, was among the Canucks' long-term casualties last season, joining goalie Dan Cloutier, winger Matt Cooke and fellow blueliner Ed Jovanovski among those with significant time missed.
The Finn suffered torn pectoral muscles while playing for his homeland at the Turin Olympics in February. He watched the Canucks' final 23 games from the press box, powerless to help as the team crashed out of the playoff race.
Salo had been enjoying a career season, with personal bests in goals, assists and points (10-23-33), and his loss crippled a Canucks blue line already missing the swashbuckling Jovanovski.
Salo attempted to rush back but encountered a setback that eventually ruled him out. He finally rested for three complete weeks after the season concluded and that seemed to move things in the right direction.
"Things weren't going that well because maybe we were putting too much load on the injury," Salo said. "I was anxious to get back and you try everything that you can, but it just didn't work out. The three weeks off re-energized it. It was just a matter of letting it heal properly. Everything is good now."
Until he was injured, Salo was one of the NHL's best bargains at $1.5 million US, and he will be again this season if he regains his form. He is expected to be an integral part of a blue-line triumvirate with Mattias Ohlund and Willie Mitchell.
Salo, 32, likes the many changes made by general manager Dave Nonis over the summer.
"I'm obviously a little bit surprised with so many changes, but I think we needed a fresh start," the Finn said. "I think it was the way to go. We've got so many new faces. It's going to be exciting and a little nervous probably, too."
Meanwhile, one of the new faces, blueliner Rory Fitzpatrick, has two words for those forecasting another disappointing Vancouver campaign: Buffalo Sabres.
The ex-Sabre noted that expectations for that team were dismal one year ago. Buffalo then proceeded to win 52 games, collect 110 points and make the final four.
"I think we were rated anywhere from 25 to 30," Fitzpatrick said. "So I don't think you can tell as easily as you could before what you're going to get. It's a whole new game and you saw that last year with the way teams flip-flopped. Team chemistry is huge and if you have it, you're going to be ahead of the teams with talent.
"Here in Vancouver, they've concentrated on getting good, character guys and I think that's going to go a long way. It would be great to be part of another team exceeding expectations."
Fitzpatrick, a 31-year-old from Rochester, N.Y., signed for one year at $525,000 US. He has four children ranging in age from eight to one. They have settled in downtown Vancouver for the season.
"We're just waiting to hear on schools for the older two and we should know by the end of the week," said Fitzpatrick, who will likely play on the Canucks' third pairing. "This is the first time the kids have lived in Canada so it will be a new experience."
Fitzpatrick was originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens -- 47th overall in 1993 -- but has had a journeyman's career with nine previous stops; four in the NHL.
Source (http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/sports/story.html?id=323ad794-4331-4583-88bc-65645330c1d0&k=31231&p=1)
Published: Thursday, September 07, 2006
It took months of rehab. It took agonizing setbacks. It took a discouraging battle with self-doubt.
But now Sami Salo is convinced. The shot is back.
The shot that can stir fear in goalies. The weapon the Canucks -- a team short on heavy hitters -- so desperately need. The 100-plus m.p.h. cannonading slapshot.
"I think it is [as hard as ever]," said Salo, who acknowledged the emotional and physical turmoil he faced late last season when he was haunted by the thought that, just maybe, his partially-torn right pectoral muscle would never fully rebuild. Just maybe, his shot would never be the same.
"In the last part of the season, things weren't looking too bright. Things weren't going the way I wanted," said Salo, who returned to Vancouver on Sunday. "Maybe that was because, obviously, we were trying to get back as soon as possible. Maybe we were putting too much of a load on it."
There were painful setbacks following his Feb. 22 fall at the Winter Olympics. He injured himself playing for Finland, using his right hand as a brace when he tumbled after colliding with a teammate.
"I could feel something wasn't right. I felt really bad. I couldn't feel my arm."
The result was a bewildering muscle tear. For the next two months the 32-year-old struggled through rehab. Two MRIs were encouraging. One week, he felt good. A return seemed in sight. The next week, he couldn't lift his stick. He missed the last 23 games of the season and even considered surgery.
"Not knowing when I was going to be able to play was frustrating," Salo said. "It's different when you have muscles that are torn. It's not easy to say when the muscles are going to [recover]. You can't give an exact date, not even within a week or two."
There was no relief until the Canucks' season ended and he finally had the chance to give the injury what it needed -- rest.
"It certainly got better after I took a few weeks off," Salo said. "That led the body and the muscles to really relax."
But as the defenceman rested in his native Turku and the tear healed, he worried about his shot. It's his bread and butter. He's won the Canucks hardest slapshot contest three years running. Last season, his slapper was clocked at a head-turning 101.6 m.p.h.
He used that shot last year to score nine of his 10 goals with a man advantage, an essential power-play component impossible for opponents to ignore. He had a career-high 33 points in 59 games. Only natural he questioned whether he'd ever have that shot back.
Salo said he got the answer in June. Skating with his two children -- Julia, 9, and Oliver, 3 -- he decided to take a whack at the puck. Oliver fed him passes for one-timers.
"I could feel the shot was back," Salo said. "I didn't shoot too many pucks. I just wanted to try a little bit. It felt good and I knew then there would be no worries about getting it back for August."
Salo said the injury's fully healed and he's been back at his old workout routine without worry for two months now:
"The time off just re-energized it. It's an exciting feeling to be back on the ice."
Source (http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=ada2c6cd-0068-40cf-869c-ca7054747ad2)
Also..
Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, September 07, 2006
Sami Salo knew he was finally on the mend sometime in June when he took his two kids skating. He also took along a puck and a stick and had three-year-old son Oliver feed him some one-timers.
"I didn't shoot too many pucks, but I could feel my shot was back," Salo said Wednesday as he joined his Vancouver Canuck teammates for a workout at Burnaby 8-Rinks. "It felt good. I knew then there was no worries."
Salo, of course, was among the Canucks' long-term casualties last season, joining goalie Dan Cloutier, winger Matt Cooke and fellow blueliner Ed Jovanovski among those with significant time missed.
The Finn suffered torn pectoral muscles while playing for his homeland at the Turin Olympics in February. He watched the Canucks' final 23 games from the press box, powerless to help as the team crashed out of the playoff race.
Salo had been enjoying a career season, with personal bests in goals, assists and points (10-23-33), and his loss crippled a Canucks blue line already missing the swashbuckling Jovanovski.
Salo attempted to rush back but encountered a setback that eventually ruled him out. He finally rested for three complete weeks after the season concluded and that seemed to move things in the right direction.
"Things weren't going that well because maybe we were putting too much load on the injury," Salo said. "I was anxious to get back and you try everything that you can, but it just didn't work out. The three weeks off re-energized it. It was just a matter of letting it heal properly. Everything is good now."
Until he was injured, Salo was one of the NHL's best bargains at $1.5 million US, and he will be again this season if he regains his form. He is expected to be an integral part of a blue-line triumvirate with Mattias Ohlund and Willie Mitchell.
Salo, 32, likes the many changes made by general manager Dave Nonis over the summer.
"I'm obviously a little bit surprised with so many changes, but I think we needed a fresh start," the Finn said. "I think it was the way to go. We've got so many new faces. It's going to be exciting and a little nervous probably, too."
Meanwhile, one of the new faces, blueliner Rory Fitzpatrick, has two words for those forecasting another disappointing Vancouver campaign: Buffalo Sabres.
The ex-Sabre noted that expectations for that team were dismal one year ago. Buffalo then proceeded to win 52 games, collect 110 points and make the final four.
"I think we were rated anywhere from 25 to 30," Fitzpatrick said. "So I don't think you can tell as easily as you could before what you're going to get. It's a whole new game and you saw that last year with the way teams flip-flopped. Team chemistry is huge and if you have it, you're going to be ahead of the teams with talent.
"Here in Vancouver, they've concentrated on getting good, character guys and I think that's going to go a long way. It would be great to be part of another team exceeding expectations."
Fitzpatrick, a 31-year-old from Rochester, N.Y., signed for one year at $525,000 US. He has four children ranging in age from eight to one. They have settled in downtown Vancouver for the season.
"We're just waiting to hear on schools for the older two and we should know by the end of the week," said Fitzpatrick, who will likely play on the Canucks' third pairing. "This is the first time the kids have lived in Canada so it will be a new experience."
Fitzpatrick was originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens -- 47th overall in 1993 -- but has had a journeyman's career with nine previous stops; four in the NHL.
Source (http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/sports/story.html?id=323ad794-4331-4583-88bc-65645330c1d0&k=31231&p=1)