Primeau was not selected for Canada due to injury.
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Toonces
They should have kept Shjon Podein...
McThome
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John Flyers Fan
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CloudNine said:
He did not have an "average" regular season. He was outstanding, until the concussion. Clearly the Flyers MVP during the regular season, even with the low point totals.
This is Al Strachan talkin' here.
Injured Blake, Yzerman and Lemieux were all named to the team on the chance that they would be healthy enough to play 3 months later. Primeau was still playing well in the playoffs when the selection was made.
Are we to believe that Primeau was well enough to play two or three more playoff games after the team selection (and he played well in those games ) but so seriously injured, that there was no possible chance that he could recover from a concussion (that didn't happen in the last two or three playoff games but would have been after the fact anyway) to play three months later ?
C'mon Al, you can come up with better nonsense than that.
Injured Blake, Yzerman and Lemieux were all named to the team on the chance that they would be healthy enough to play 3 months later. Primeau was still playing well in the playoffs when the selection was made.
Are we to believe that Primeau was well enough to play two or three more playoff games after the team selection (and he played well in those games ) but so seriously injured, that there was no possible chance that he could recover from a concussion (that didn't happen in the last two or three playoff games but would have been after the fact anyway) to play three months later ?
C'mon Al, you can come up with better nonsense than that.
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John Flyers Fan
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cleduc said:
It wasn't an opinion piece, it had direct qutoes from Hitchcock, or did you miss that ???
"He's just getting over it now," Flyers coach and Team Canada assistant Ken Hitchcock said.
"It's just now that he has no dizziness. At the end of the playoffs, he didn't have any dizziness, but he still had headaches. And it took time for it to heal."
"It was a huge factor," Hitchcock said. "It was a decision that we talked over with him, but he just felt that he needed to look after himself.
"He talked it over with Clarkie (Flyers general manager Bob Clarke). He talked it over with myself. When it came time to make the decision, he asked me to (remove his name from consideration).
"He said, 'Look, I don't think in fairness to everyone else I can get myself in shape to play.' "
John Flyers Fan said:
Re-read Al's quotes from Hitch on dizziness. They don't make sense.
The dialogue in the above story may have come sometime during the summer IF it is real, accurate and within context - something many have come to know isn't always reliable from Strachan.
Al forgot his original May 18th story on this :
J.R. shoots from the lip for Primeau
"I feel very confident that he's going to be on the team," Hitchcock said. Naturally enough, Hitchcock fought for the inclusion of Primeau. But he had only one vote. "I think everybody in here knows how hard I fought for him," he said. "But this is also a group decision.
Those are not the words of a coach who knows his player has pulled out due to injury from a tournament three month into the future while that same player is still playing in the playoffs. There's too much confidence volunteered.
At then end of the Flyers playoffs, Tim Pannacio wrote an article detailing the Flyers injuries. Primeau is listed as suffering from a sprained ankle only - no concussion issues noted like Roenick and Kapanen.
Early July ESPN Primeau Interview Audio about the playoffs
Primeau voulnteered and was not asked about his health in the playoffs :
"I felt really good" "I was playing well, physically I felt really strong" (looked like it)
"I’m continuing to work out" (during the off season which you don’t do with concussion symptoms until they disappate which Hitch confirms below that they had)
"up front we were extremely healthy other than the (playoff) bumps and bruises" (but he goes on to mention injuries to the dmen so he isn’t hiding much)
July 30/04 Courier Post
Hitchcock said C Keith Primeau's concussionlike symptoms have dissipated in recent weeks and he is beginning workouts without pain. Jeremy Roenick's progress from similar symptoms has been slower, Hitchcock said. "They both needed time off to get their heads clear," he said. "Concussions can be very unnerving. You don't want to start back fast; you want to start slow. If training camp starts on time, both guys will be ready."
Roenick is well behind Primeau's recovery but Roenick will be ready by Sept 15th according to Hitch making August 29th availability for Primeau quite realistic.
When Yzerman pulls out, it's a choice between Primeau and LeCavalier. The team already had a checking center in Draper who is paired with Malby & Doan for the checking line as they were in the World Championships - short series, familiarity counts and helped get Gagne on the team.
Primeau has been working out since early July and is symptom free. LeCavalier was selected for his offence to replace Yzerman - something Keith can't be relied upon to provide in the big games based upon his history. Keith may have "pulled out in July/August" when he really wasn't a offensive consideration.
Coming from Strachan, this merely completes the sense of smelly accuracy to the story.
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with "the grind line" already on the team, maybe they wanted a little more offensive kick? he had a great playoffs, and made me cry many times during the 2nd round series, but he really doesn't have the creative offensive abilities of a lot of the guys on the team
although i would have taken him in place of morrow or gagne (except that the team was a little short on LW as it is)
although i would have taken him in place of morrow or gagne (except that the team was a little short on LW as it is)
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