Burnout among the medical staff of the Montreal Canadiens
During the 2021-22 season, the Montreal Canadiens' players missed 731 games, far and away making them the most injured team in the NHL, followed by the Arizona Coyotes with 627 missed games.
Things have not improved in the 2022-23 season, with a staggering total of 751 missed games. The Toronto Maple Leafs are in 2nd place, with 596 missed games. Thus, over the past two seasons, the Montreal Canadiens' players have accumulated 1482 missed games.
An impressive total of more than 18 seasons of 82 games!
Among the significant players who were absent for several games due to injuries, we find the names of Cole Caufield (36), Kirby Dach (24), Juraj Slafkovsky (43), Sean Monahan (57), Brendan Gallagher (45), Mike Matheson (34), David Savard (20), Kaiden Guhle (38), and Arber Xhekaj (31). These nine players alone were absent for a total of 328 games.
When there are so many injuries to a team's key players, repercussions can be expected in terms of competitiveness and team performance.
Moreover, after only two games into the new season, Dach suffered an injury during the game against the Chicago Blackhawks. He left the ice to return to the locker room in the first period and did not return afterward. Let's hope this is not a precursor of what awaits the Canadiens.
Will the arrival in June 2023 of Jim Ramsay, Director of Sports Medicine and Performance and Chief Sports Therapist, and Maxime Gauthier, Chief Physiotherapist, have a positive impact to avoid repeating the sad feats of the last two seasons?
If the medical staff can avoid the infirmary or at least significantly reduce the number of injuries, especially to its key players, can we hope to be in the fight to enter the spring dance?
We always wish health to the people we love. Seeing how the population of Quebec passionately loves their Montreal Canadiens, it may be time to wish the Canadiens' players health for the 2023-24 season. Maybe then, we can wish for a competitive team and a Stanley Cup in a few years.
Let's hope the fairy godmother hears these three wishes! For now, good luck to the medical staff!
Source: nhl.com
MGL - Man-Games Lost
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If the Montreal Canadiens' players stay healthy, do you believe in their chances of making the playoffs this season? | ||
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| No | 26 | 24.3 % |
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