Rhonda
06-18-2006, 09:57 AM
ERIC DUHATSCHEK
Globe and Mail Update
EDMONTON — For the better part of a week, Carolina Hurricanes' coach Peter Laviolette kept insisting that Erik Cole – a player he describes as one of the best power forwards in the National Hockey League – would absolutely, under no circumstances, play a game in the Stanley Cup final. Laviolette kept saying Cole was out for the season. That's what it said in the game notes; and frankly, Laviolette was tired of answering questions about the matter.
It seemed about as definitive an assessment as someone could make – until Saturday night when, lo and behold, Cole made a miraculous return to the Hurricanes' line-up to play Game 6 of the Edmonton Oilers' series.
So what accounted for the change of heart?
“Well, after further examinations from the doctors that have been looking at him, the healing process has probably gone as far as it's going to go,” said Laviolette. “It didn't matter if he waited anymore until next training camp.”
Cole hadn't played for the Hurricanes since fracturing two vertebrae in his neck after being driven into the ice by Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik back on Mar. 4.
Cole said things began to change on the charter flight into Edmonton after he learned that centre Doug Weight would not be available because of a suspected separated right shoulder.
“I made a comment in passing, ‘if Weighter can't go, does that mean I'm in?'” revealed Cole. “It was kind of cast aside by our assistant coach, Jeff Daniels, but then, we stopped in Des Moines (for refuelling) and said, ‘Make sure you run it by Peter.'
“We got to thinking and kicking it around and decided it was worth a look – to get another CT scan and see how much more progress had been made in the healing process. We found a way to get it done, although it was a long day (Friday).”
That's because Cole couldn't find a location in Edmonton to get his tests, so the Hurricanes sent him, via charter, to Denver for the scan. From there, his doctor at Duke University, Bill Richardson, looked it over Saturday morning and then flew into Edmonton to examine him face-to-face. They talked after lunch and in conjunction with the team's medical staff and Laviolette, he made the decision to play.
“It was in my court, whether or not I felt comfortable enough to go out and try to contribute.”
When asked if we were taking a risk in playing, Cole said: “The risk is going to be with me the rest of my life. My neck was broken three-and-a-half months ago. It's going to be this way. But I felt strong over the last several weeks on the ice. The coaching staff felt, as long as I thought I could get it done, that we could do this.”
Cole said he didn't return to the Hurricanes' line-up as if he were going to be the “saviour” and conceded that had Weight not been injured, the idea of returning probably wouldn't have crossed his mind.
Nor did Laviolette subscribe to the theory that Cole's return would provide the team with an emotional boost, following a 4-3 overtime loss in the fifth game last Wednesday.
“We wanted him in the line-up because at the time of his injury, I thought he was one of the top power forwards in the game,” said Laviolette. “To be honest, for the first two periods, I thought he might have been our best forward. He was skating. He was physical. He had a couple of opportunities that didn't translate into goals, but he did get some chances in the right areas. He took hits. He gave hits. It was a courageous effort by him.”
Cole didn't like the fact that the Oilers' Ethan Moreau hit him hard in the third minute of play.
“It was tough getting some sleep this afternoon,” said Cole. “I had a lot of anxiety, a lot of emotion. It's been a long process. I got to the rink and felt good and was excited. I felt good in warm-ups and on my shift. On that power play, I knew he (Moreau) was coming. It's not surprising that he was trying to head-hunt me a little bit.”
Cole said he was looking forward to playing in Monday night's decisive seventh game of the series, noting that he'd been “dreaming of the chance my whole life.
“I think I'll be a lot better in Game 7,” he said. “I didn't feel great today in the third period, but I'll get some rest. This is my first game in three-and-a-half months. I thought I handled it pretty well, considering it was Game 6 of the Cup finals.”
The Oilers were the sixth club in Stanley Cup final history to force a Game 7 after trailing the series 3-1, but only the third in the past two decades. Of the previous 27 clubs that trailed 3-1 in the final, 16 were eliminated in Game 5, six were eliminated in Game 6, four were eliminated in Game 7 and one – the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs – captured the Stanley Cup.
Globe and Mail Update
EDMONTON — For the better part of a week, Carolina Hurricanes' coach Peter Laviolette kept insisting that Erik Cole – a player he describes as one of the best power forwards in the National Hockey League – would absolutely, under no circumstances, play a game in the Stanley Cup final. Laviolette kept saying Cole was out for the season. That's what it said in the game notes; and frankly, Laviolette was tired of answering questions about the matter.
It seemed about as definitive an assessment as someone could make – until Saturday night when, lo and behold, Cole made a miraculous return to the Hurricanes' line-up to play Game 6 of the Edmonton Oilers' series.
So what accounted for the change of heart?
“Well, after further examinations from the doctors that have been looking at him, the healing process has probably gone as far as it's going to go,” said Laviolette. “It didn't matter if he waited anymore until next training camp.”
Cole hadn't played for the Hurricanes since fracturing two vertebrae in his neck after being driven into the ice by Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik back on Mar. 4.
Cole said things began to change on the charter flight into Edmonton after he learned that centre Doug Weight would not be available because of a suspected separated right shoulder.
“I made a comment in passing, ‘if Weighter can't go, does that mean I'm in?'” revealed Cole. “It was kind of cast aside by our assistant coach, Jeff Daniels, but then, we stopped in Des Moines (for refuelling) and said, ‘Make sure you run it by Peter.'
“We got to thinking and kicking it around and decided it was worth a look – to get another CT scan and see how much more progress had been made in the healing process. We found a way to get it done, although it was a long day (Friday).”
That's because Cole couldn't find a location in Edmonton to get his tests, so the Hurricanes sent him, via charter, to Denver for the scan. From there, his doctor at Duke University, Bill Richardson, looked it over Saturday morning and then flew into Edmonton to examine him face-to-face. They talked after lunch and in conjunction with the team's medical staff and Laviolette, he made the decision to play.
“It was in my court, whether or not I felt comfortable enough to go out and try to contribute.”
When asked if we were taking a risk in playing, Cole said: “The risk is going to be with me the rest of my life. My neck was broken three-and-a-half months ago. It's going to be this way. But I felt strong over the last several weeks on the ice. The coaching staff felt, as long as I thought I could get it done, that we could do this.”
Cole said he didn't return to the Hurricanes' line-up as if he were going to be the “saviour” and conceded that had Weight not been injured, the idea of returning probably wouldn't have crossed his mind.
Nor did Laviolette subscribe to the theory that Cole's return would provide the team with an emotional boost, following a 4-3 overtime loss in the fifth game last Wednesday.
“We wanted him in the line-up because at the time of his injury, I thought he was one of the top power forwards in the game,” said Laviolette. “To be honest, for the first two periods, I thought he might have been our best forward. He was skating. He was physical. He had a couple of opportunities that didn't translate into goals, but he did get some chances in the right areas. He took hits. He gave hits. It was a courageous effort by him.”
Cole didn't like the fact that the Oilers' Ethan Moreau hit him hard in the third minute of play.
“It was tough getting some sleep this afternoon,” said Cole. “I had a lot of anxiety, a lot of emotion. It's been a long process. I got to the rink and felt good and was excited. I felt good in warm-ups and on my shift. On that power play, I knew he (Moreau) was coming. It's not surprising that he was trying to head-hunt me a little bit.”
Cole said he was looking forward to playing in Monday night's decisive seventh game of the series, noting that he'd been “dreaming of the chance my whole life.
“I think I'll be a lot better in Game 7,” he said. “I didn't feel great today in the third period, but I'll get some rest. This is my first game in three-and-a-half months. I thought I handled it pretty well, considering it was Game 6 of the Cup finals.”
The Oilers were the sixth club in Stanley Cup final history to force a Game 7 after trailing the series 3-1, but only the third in the past two decades. Of the previous 27 clubs that trailed 3-1 in the final, 16 were eliminated in Game 5, six were eliminated in Game 6, four were eliminated in Game 7 and one – the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs – captured the Stanley Cup.