Josh Anderson’s voice was dead as he discussed the loss of teammate Cole Caufield. We felt like he was consumed with emotion on Saturday morning before the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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• Also read: Canadians: Cole Caufield will miss the rest of the season
In the Canadiens’ locker room, Anderson is one of those people who can fully understand what Caufield will be going through in the coming months.
The CH dropped a bombshell in the hockey world by announcing that Caufield’s season was already over. Injured on his right shoulder, he will soon be operated on.
“I talked to Cole a bit before practice. he is positive He knows he will 100% come back and feel better. »
“After my surgery, my left shoulder was stronger than my right. He liked hearing that. I am confident that he will score more goals. He will come back stronger. »
Anderson is not a doctor. But the big right winger knows a lot about shoulder surgeries.
In 2019-20, while wearing the colors of the Columbus Blue Jackets, he went under the knife for a labrum tear in his left shoulder.
Anderson played for almost a month before finally throwing in the towel. He had required a seven-month rehabilitation period before regaining full strength with his shoulder.
Caufield could now follow a similar path. He will need a long rest before becoming a threat again near an opposing net.
Back to 100%
Cole Caufield had carried this uneasiness around with him for a long time.
“It’s been two or three months since he picked up an injury that was tiring and meant he wasn’t at 100%,” Pat Brisson, Caufield’s agent, confided to TVA Sports. It’s an accumulation, it’s happened a few times that his shoulder came off. In his case it didn’t hurt too much but we wanted to prevent it so it doesn’t get worse and he misses the start of next season. There we are 100% and 99.9% respectively confident that the operation will go well and he can return to the camp next fall. »
The forward hadn’t missed a single game this season. He also participated in training and did not get the famous therapeutic leave.
dr Éric Schlader, an orthopedic surgeon affiliated with Saint-Eustache Hospital, sheds an important light.
“There are athletes who can do well with a dislocated shoulder,” he explains in an interview with the Journal. Anterior dislocation of the humeral head from the glenoid surface (part of the scapula) is a common injury in contact sports such as hockey or soccer. Recurrent dislocations are common and may require surgical stabilization. »
“Between dislocations, athletes can feel great. But a trivial gesture can happen and the shoulder still comes out, but suddenly it hurts a lot. After three or four episodes, where the shoulder lands, you don’t really have a choice to intervene,” he adds.
Six month overhaul
dr Schlader, reading about Caufield’s injury and listening to Anderson’s comments, feels number 22 also sustained a labrum tear in his right shoulder.
“Anderson had a labral tear,” recalls the specialist in arthroscopic surgery and shoulder and knee reconstruction. Doctors may have recently obtained an MRI scan for Caufield’s shoulder and brought the injury to light. »
“If the tear is more extensive, including the anterior labrum, there is a risk of further dislocation in the future. Rehabilitation after the operation is all the more important. A return to the game should not be rushed until the stabilizing shoulder muscles are fully under control. »
Therefore, a six-month reconditioning should be considered before resuming contact lens training.
A reference to golf
dr Schlader compared it to golf to popularize it.
“You have to think of the shoulder like a golf ball on a tee. With semi-rigid fabric upholstery [le labrum] around the T-piece, keeping the humeral head centered in the joint. The ligaments attach to the anterior labrum and prevent dislocation of the shoulder. Pinning the labrum helps stabilize the ball off the tee. »
Those in charge at Caufield and CH will now pray that the little white ball doesn’t move too much off the tee in the future.