After suffering a cardiac episode and being revived on the bench earlier this month, St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester has released a statement thanking all the medical professionals for their hard work in his recovery:
I would sincerely like to thank all of the trainers from both the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks, as well as all of the first responders, the Anaheim medical staff and the team at the UCI Medical Center for their quick actions on Feb. 11.
Our family has felt the support of the entire National Hockey League family and the city of St. Louis during this time. We have all been greatly comforted by your genuine concern.
On Sunday evening, I returned to St. Louis and I am on the road to recovery. My wife and daughters are forever grateful for everyone’s support and we will continue to have a positive outlook for our future.
It is great news to hear that Bouwmeester has returned to St. Louis and will continue his recovery at home. The entire hockey community wishes him well as he gets better.
- In other injury news, the Edmonton Oilers have lost another key player for several weeks. Oscar Klefbom will miss two-to-three weeks with a shoulder injury, weakening the Oilers’ already shaky defensive group. It’s hard to overstate how important Klefbom has been this season, logging more than 25 minutes a night and leading all Oilers’ defensemen in scoring with 33 points in 59 games.
- Speaking of teams that have been injury-riddled, the Pittsburgh Penguins have lost another forward. Zach Aston-Reese has been listed as week-to-week by head coach Mike Sullivan, taking him out of the lineup for the time being. The 25-year old Aston-Reese has been a staple in the Penguins lineup all year, recording 13 points in 57 games while logging significant time on the penalty kill. Though he obviously isn’t as impactful as some of the other Pittsburgh stars who have missed time, his absence will be noticed.