Don't get to critical over that favorite player of yours who may not be putting up great numbers at this time of the year.
You may be all concerned that he simply isn't contributing like he did during the regular season.
The reason behind the struggles may mean he's playing hurt!
Playing with pain is never easy, but playing with pain in the playoff is more common place because the stakes are so high.
It happens at the pro level, and it's more prevalent than you might think even in junior hockey.
No one played with more pain for the Kelowna Rockets then Tyler Spurgeon, who's photo is on the left.
I remember asking myself the question last season when captain Spurgeon just wasn't carrying the mail like he did during the regular season.
Why was he struggling offensively? Why was he avoiding contact in such a crucial series?
As the playoff went on, the worse he became.
Sure he'd work hard, but he just wasn't the regular season Tyler Spurgeon I was used too.
The reason?
As I found out after the playoffs were over, he was playing hurt with a badly separated shoulder.
In fact instead of getting shoulder surgery after dislocating it in one of the Rockets final regular season games against Seattle after being hit by T-Birds D-Man Zack Fitzgerald, Spurgeon decided to press on, put the surgery on hold, play injured and let the cards fall where they may.
He was that type of warrior.
Battling injuries over his career was common place for the Edmonton product, and in his 19 year-old season with such a talented team, he just couldn't fathom going under the knife and watching his teammates battle for another birth at a Memorial Cup while he sat watching on the sidelines.
How badly dislocated was the shoulder?
Spurgeon couldn't even take a shot on net, without feeling the agonizing pain.
If you watched closely in warm-up during the playoffs, Spurgeon wouldn't even shoot a puck as the pain was that great.
All he'd do was skate, stretch and off the ice he'd go, hopeing to contribute to his team as an inspirational leader and face-off man.
Funny thing is nobody detected a problem.
The opposition didn't clue in, the media missed it, but his teammates were in awe that he was playing in excruciating pain, yet putting the team before himself believing by being in the lineup it gave them a better chance of winning.
I remember asking Spurgeon in the Rockets playoff series with Everett about his lack of production offensively, and if he was indeed playing hurt?
With a straight face he said, nope, I just need to play better to help my team win.
So if you are a fan or media type and a key player isn't preforming up to snuff, he could be in a slump, or more likely he could be playing hurt!
It would be best to watch warm-up a little more closely these days, because you too may notice something that explains why your favorite player isn't pulling his weight in post season!
The answer may be - he's playing in pain.
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Speaking of bad shoulder's.
No coach that I have had the privilege of traveling with over the years was as banged up as former Swift Current Broncos coach Todd McLellan.
Now an assistant with the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings, McLellan's junior career with the Saskatoon Blades, and short pro career with the New York Islanders was filled with shoulder injuries, and shoulder surgeries.
I remember Todd showing me a 4 inch gash on his left shoulder from two separate surgeries, a shoulder that was so bad that he couldn't lift his arm over his head.
I remember going to an afternoon practice at the Civic Centre one day only to see Todd in his Swift Current Broncos track suit, blowing his whistle and putting the guys through the paces.....with his arm in a sling!
Todd told me he was playing with his son Tyson at home, and his shoulder popped out.
That season it happened twice, once playing with his new baby boy, the other was in Kootenay when he was so upset the way the team was playing in the playoffs that he kicked over a garbage can and went to push something out of the way in disgust when - pop - out went his shoulder.
He's wasn't overly animated the next night on the bench, where he was dressed in a three piece suit with his left arm in a sling.
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WHL disciplinarian Richard Doerksen was busy Monday handing out fines totalling 5 thousand dollars following game two of the Everett-Spokane series.
Both teams were fined 25 hundred dollars each, after fights broke out after the Tips won in overtime.
Spokane's Judd Blackwater was suspended for 3 games while teammate Mitch Wahl and Everett's Brandon Campos were suspended 2 games each for getting into a fight after the game had ended. Tips forward Kyle Beach was also suspended for one game for his actions following that contest.
The WHL has suspended Red Deer's Martin Hanzal for one game for a checking from behind incident against Medicine Hat in game two.
Tim Kraus won't be in the Giants lineup tonight in game three of their playoff series with the Cougars after being suspended for a checking from behind incident also in game two.
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After losing a bet, Kelowna's Mayor had to wear a Chilliwack Bruin's jersey to yesterday's City Council meeting.
Sharon Shepherd wore an autographed jersey, after losing the friendly wager to Chilliwack Mayor Clint Hames, about who's team would end up in the playoffs.
Shepherd says its all in good fun, but she will always be a Kelowna Rockets fan.
Kelowna City Hall also had to put up a Chilliwack flag as part of the bet.
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Are you looking at stumping your buddy with hockey trivia?
Ask him who was the first goaltender to ever wear a mask in the NHL?
He or she will tell you - Jacques Plante of course!
Wrong!
In 1930, Montreal Maroons goaltender Clint Benedict tried a crude leather face protector but gave it up because he believed it impaired his vision.
Enter Jacques Plante.
Plante used one in practice, until he was was badly cut in a game in 1959 that he insisted on wearing a mask. The Canadiens were concerned that the mask may make him less alert, but after the teams went undefeated in 10 games, Plante's mask became a permanent fixture.
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