[Jlg-28]

Source: Flyers.com

Flyers center Keith Primeau is doubtful for Sunday?s game against the Ottawa Senators after missing the pre-game skate at the Corel Centre on Sunday morning. Primeau and Flyers Head Coach Ken Hitchcock talked with the media following the skate.

In nine games this season, the Flyers? captain has one goal and six assists for seven points and six penalty minutes.

To take his place on the roster, the Flyers recalled center R.J. Umberger from the Philadelphia Phantoms. In eight games with the Phantoms, Umberger is leading the team in scoring with three goals and seven assists for 10 points and eight penalty minutes.

Keith Primeau

?I have been feeling lethargic the last couple of days, and it has progressively gotten worse. I called Jim McCrossin this morning so he got me down here and I had [massage therapist] Brad [Smith] work on my neck and shoulder to see if that would alleviate some of it, and we will reassess [Sunday] afternoon.?

What is bothering you?
?It?s a lot of similar symptoms as last time. I have headaches and pressure, and just don?t feel right. I feel lethargic.?

Did it bother you in Carolina [Friday night]?
?It?s been a few days and I tried to get through because I thought it was just more getting back to playing after missing a year. I thought I was just maybe dragging a little bit. But, it was deteriorating and not getting better.?



Can you trace it back to the hit in Montreal?
?That?s fair to say, yeah.?

Ken Hitchcock

?I think where he stands is pretty obvious. The effects of the hit came back a little bit after the game in Carolina he didn?t feel right towards the end of the game. We?re just not, with the history and last 24 months with Keith, we?re just not prepared to take any chances. We?ll take him back to Philadelphia and have a further evaluation and give you an update of where he is. I don?t think it?s too bad; he?s in a situation where with the history we?re just not prepared to take any risks. R.J. is going to come up and we?re excited. He was arguably one of the best forwards in training camp through exhibition season, so we?re excited to give R.J. a real go here.?

Will Umberger play [Sunday]?
?Yep, he?s going to play [Sunday] for his first NHL game. His parents are flying in from Pittsburgh. Everybody?s excited, and our team is excited because we know how good of a player he was. This gives us a chance to look at the future of our organization. With Richards, Carter and Umberger down the middle we get a real good look of where we?re going to be at.?

[Jlg-28]

Source: Couier Post Online.com

Flyers captain Keith Primeau will be sidelined indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms, the club announced Sunday.


Knocked to the ice with an elbow Tuesday night vs. Montreal, Primeau played two more games, against Florida on Friday and vs. Carolina on Saturday.


But when headaches and pressure persisted, the club sent him back to Philadelphia, where he is expected to undergo cognitive testing today. Primeau was diagnosed with his fourth documented concussion in February of 2004 and said he suffered through concussion-like symptoms for the next 16 months.


"Where he stands is pretty obvious," Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock said Sunday from Ottawa. "The effects of the hit (against Montreal) came back.


"With Keith's history in the last 24 months, we're not prepared to take any chances. We'll take him back to Philadelphia to have him further evaluated and give everybody an update on where he is. I don't think it's too bad, but he's in a situation where we're just not prepared to take any risks."


Primeau was replaced in the lineup by rookie R.J. Umberger, who had three goals and seven assists in eight games with the AHL Phantoms.


Primeau, 33, said he felt good the day after getting elbowed by Canadiens rookie Alexander Perezhogin. But when tension and headaches persisted during the next few days, he hoped massage treatments would relieve the tension.


"I thought maybe it was just dragging a lit bit," Primeau said. "But I was deteriorating and not getting better."


Primeau has had four documented concussions during his 15-year career, but two weeks ago, he said his actual number of concussions could be 25 times that.


"How many have I had? " he asked himself. "If you look since I've been playing when I was 5, a hundred? In all honesty, I love when I hear J.R. (Jeremy Roenick) has had 11 documented (concussions.) Documented? C'mon.


"In talking with other guys in the last 15 or 18 months, it's not just one hit (that results in a concussion). Look back at the tapes of the last 80 to 100 games and every time that player gets hit or gives a hit, he's rattling his brain. It's a constant pounding."

[Jlg-28]

Source: Flyers.com

Flyers Athletic Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Coach Jim McCrossin confirmed on Monday that Flyers captain and center Keith Primeau has sustained a concussion and is out of action indefinitely. Primeau did not play in the Flyers? 5-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night after not feeling well following a game in Carolina on October 28.

McCrossin also addressed Kim Johnsson's injury. Johnsson left Sunday's game in the first period with a pulled left groin and is listed as day-to-day.

The following is a transcript of an interview with McCrossin by Philadelphia Inquirer beat writer Tim Panaccio.

Is it a concussion?
Jim McCrossin: ?Yes, it is.?

Have you placed a grade on it?
McCrossin: ?No, we have not placed a grade on it. Let me take a step back. It has been classified as a concussion, but it also has been classified as whiplash, too. It?s a concussion, but he has whiplash-like symptoms. What I mean by that is, his [neck] muscles are real tight. We?re currently working on that to try and relieve the tension in the muscles.

?The significance of that is twofold. One, it?s causing irritation and can slow down your circulation. Second, is that the muscles at the neck go up into your head, and if they are tight, it?s pulling down on that part of the head and can cause a headache. We?re trying to relieve that symptom right now to see if it will relieve some of the headaches that Keith has been reporting.?

Do you have a prognosis of how long he will miss?
McCrossin: ?No. We don?t at this time. I do know that he will not be able to do anything for at least two days. At this time, the doctor?we would just like him to go out and take some walks just to make sure that he feels better and the symptoms begin to subside. At this time, there is no date of return.?

Are you treating this as his first concussion or just one of multiple concussions?
McCrossin: ?That?s a real good question. We?re treating it, as this is a numerous concussion. To say that this would be his first concussion of the season, you really couldn?t say that. Each of the concussions that Keith has had, it?s almost been like a delayed onset. We?re closely monitoring him and I?m in touch with Keith more than probably his wife is (laughs).?

How many can he sustain where you would say to him, ?I think it?s dangerous for you to play again??
McCrossin: ?Again, that is a tough one to answer. Each and every one of them, as you know, are different. They grade concussions. I spoke with Dr. [Gary] Dorshimer today, and at this time, there wasn?t a grade put on it. But, the original question was, how many can he sustain? Well, that goes into an individual basis and that is beyond my scope. That?s why we have experts in the field and that?s why we?re monitoring his symptoms daily. Hopefully, this one will be the last one he ever has, but with our sport, that is probably highly unlikely. I wish I could answer that. I?d be lying to you to say that at six we?re going to call it quits. That?s where Dr. Dorshimer and all the different doctors will have to make a decision. Obviously, Keith?s self is our number one priority. There?s life after hockey.?

Did he go through the testing [Monday]?
McCrossin: ?Yes, he did. He?s going to be tested again in one week if the symptoms clear. He?ll see Dr. Dorshimer Thursday night at the game, so he will have follow up there. I?ll be in touch with Dr. Dorshimer and Dr. [Gerri] McGuinnis on a daily basis.?

So, we don?t know where he?s at right now in terms of long-term damage?
McCrossin: ?No. We know where he tested, and I know what Dr. Dorshimer found. However, in terms of damage done, I don?t know if anybody can actually tell you that. I don?t know.?

What exactly are his symptoms?
McCrossin: ?He does have headaches. He does have really tight [neck] muscles. He?s got a headache going across the frontal portion of his head, right where the sinus would be. He doesn?t have any nausea, but when he lies down he feels like he?s spinning. He also said that his eyes feel dizzy. He may be focusing, but the eyes are kind of going back and forth. Things are in focus, but his eyes fatigue quickly.?

What is the status of Kim Johnsson?
McCrossin: ?He came in today and was a little sore, and he?s going to start rehabbing tomorrow. It?s going to be day-to-day. We?re going to evaluate him daily. I?m hoping that we can get him back by Thursday, but if not, maybe by Saturday.?

[TonyFatt]

Bah, so that's Kapanen, Stevenson, Primeau and Johnsson.

What do you know... at least Forsberg and Hatcher are healthy.