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CBJ - Why So Many Injuries? Jiricek Buried? |
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The Columbus Blue Jackets have completed their first road trip and are completing their homestand in the early stages of the 2024-2025 NHL regular season. Tomorrow is the Frozen Frenzy presented by ESPN, and in that game, the Blue Jackets host the Maple Leafs in their first meeting of three of the season.
This catchup feature for October with the extra day off in the calendar will bring up why there are so many injuries and is defender David Jiricek being buried by management?
The Injury Bug
This season there have already been 9 confirmed injuries by the Blue Jackets where players have missed at least one game on the ice.
1. Justin Danforth* - the asterisk on this one is a result from offseason surgery. While this was not an in-season injury, he did miss training camp and the first three games of the regular season. A loss is still a loss on the forward depth.
2. Gavin Brindley - injured in preseason, the Michigan alumni and best friend of Adam Fantilli, is out 4-6 weeks.
3. Max McCue - placed on injured non-roster list, he was reportedly cleared over the weekend and is expected to report to Cleveland on October 15.
4. Jordan Dumais - placed on injured non-roster list, he is apparently still dealing with an upper body injury. He is reportedly expected to be cleared on November 2nd.
5. Boone Jenner - had shoulder surgery in Colorado after suffering the injury in practice before preseason ended. He is rumored to be back for the outdoor game in March 1st.
6. Dmitry Voronkov - suffered a back injury, and is expected to be back after Thanksgiving per Waddell.
7. Elvis Merzlikins - out reportedly short term according to the coaching staff.
8. Erik Gudbranson - out reportedly short term according to the coaching staff.
9. Kent Johnson - out long term according to Evason.
Strength & Conditioning Coach: Kevin Collins
Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach: Ryan Gadbois
Collins has been a groomed NHL strength coach since 2004. His first six years, he was with Buffalo. The last 14, he has been on the main roster. He is also certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as a certified strength and conditioning specialist. Collins is also an alumni of SUNY Brockport in Exercise Physiology and Business Management.
Gadbois is as a goalie with Florida State, and has been the assistant strength coach since 2021.
Head Athletic Trainer: Mike Vogt
Assistant Athletic Trainers: Dylan Dewey, Nates Goto, Chris Strickland
Vogt has been in the show since 2001, starting with Minnesota; and with Columbus since 2008. He has a quarter century of pro experience.
Dewey is in his second season with Columbus. He was with the ECHL for two of their three Kelly Cup championships between 2019-2023.
Goto has almost 3 decades of experience; including 2 of those 3 decades in the National beyeeen the Islanders and Blue Jackets. Goto has been a member of the staff since 2012.
Strickland has only been with the Blue Jakcets since 2008.
Why so many injures every single year?
1. It is part of the sport, and management needs to be prepared for any circumstance. How Original.
2. This is new staff, so they need the time to evaluate. Another original excuse.
3. Precaution? Maybe? Seems like a stretch.
4. The youth is learning from their mistakes? Potentially. There tends to be calls about it in Montreal for the same thing. Games lost has been an issue for some teams when it comes to acquiring players on the LTIR, but this scenario pops up only in March/April.
Is David Jiricek Being Buried?!
Through six games of regular season, right shooting defender David Jiricek has only played in one regular season game. As a 20 year old, he has made the Columbus Blue Jackets’ opening night roster two consecutive training camps.
He had the rookie tryout at the end of the 2022-23 season under Brad Larsen. In 4 games, he only had a minor penalty. With the Monsters, he had 38 points in 55 AHL games. He also had 7 points in 7 games with the World Junior Championships.
Last season, under the management of John Davidson and Jarmmo Kekalainen, he was even told to buy a house in the central Ohio area. Pascal Vincent was his coach in his rookie season. In 43 games, he had his first career NHL goal and an additional nine helpers for 10 points. In 29 AHL games, he had 19 points. In 14 playoff games, losing in Game 7 to Hershey, the Czech native had 11 points.
This season, Jiricek is under the management of Don Waddell. Dean Evason is his coach this current season. In one game this season, he had an assist on the lone Columbus goal against Minnesota.
Jiricek turns 21 in November. He has two years remaining on his entry level contract. With the Jackets acquiring depth in Jack Johnson and Jordan Harris this past summer, why is Jiricek continuing to be held back by new management?
Is there an off ice behavior issue with the youngster that has not been reported? Is he struggling with the new system after being on his fourth coach in parts of his young tenure in the NHL while also mastering the AHL under Vogelhuber?
Even with Gudbranson out injured this week, there is lots of room for Jiricek to get out there. Maybe, the hope is if they move Provorov, Jiricek jumps right to the top pair with Werenski after the trade deadline?
There just doesn’t seem to be a logical reason to keeping a sixth overall draft selection acquired for a former top pairing defender to keep him in the press box in his young years and on an entry level contract. Minutes and performance matter to a young defender.
More is coming…
Obituaries
https://www.danjolell.com/obituary/john-michael-gaudreau/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaYM9fikwQbNkPlcwmTBaP2udJZw1oMBCmyXjp-GyttBpDhIoWnqY8lxQSQ_aem_zW3gpaArqsSO7D5ZI-Pdog
https://www.danjolell.com/obituary/matthew-ryan-gaudreau/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZ33XNOJYMaSDfXxs3NcH7AY99EWfo9ObneKgMrpds4HwrC3U6Gkj0igr0_aem_qqWUcGWcBFf0sebC0an4RQ
Want to support the Gaudreau family? Here’s several ways how:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-madeline-and-baby-tripp-after-tragedy - Donate to Gaudreau Family Fund. At the time of writing it is at $691K
https://youtu.be/7ax8zyd8nk0?si=xoI63iohdyn2vVvD - View Johnny B Goode Tribute - personal touch. Loved this slowed down clip by the voice of Calgary. Skip to the 25 second mark.
https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/giving - Nationwide Children's Hospital (Johnny's widow, Meredith's workplace) support the children today.
https://foundation.ohiohealth.com/ - Ohio Health Foundation (where donations from a joint mental health charity drive from Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine went) Johnny joined the mission after Laine attended the NHLPA assistance club last season
https://www.childrenshospital.ab.ca/ways-to-help/donate/ - Alberta Children's Hospital for those in need and touched by the loss
https://kidsportcanada.ca/donate/ - Donate to the Youth Sporting Charity in Canada (Johnny Gaudreau donated for money each goal he scored to the Calgary chapter)
https://sniderhockey.org/support-snider/ - the Philadelphia Youth Hockey Charity (where Johnny and Matthew are from and started their youth hockey)
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