CrashingTheGoalie

by Ron Spence

“It was kind of a freak thing,” coach Jacques Martin said. “It wasn’t on a hit or anything.”

“He was just skating up the ice.”

The Ottawa coach was talking about his young Finnish Dman who had just injured himself during a 2001 exhibition game.

Eight years later, Sami Salo is still having freak injuries.

Vancouver was playing in the 2nd game of the 2nd round of the 2008-09 playoffs, and Salo unleashed a slapshot which lasered past Nikolai Khabibulin’s glove hand.

It was Salo’s 3rd goal and 6th point in five playoff games, and Salo had injured himself once again. This time, he had pulled buttocks muscles and had to leave the game only 5:35 minutes into the contest.

Sami Salo has reportedly had “thirty-seven significant injuries in a 10-year career.”

The Fin has missed 216 regular season games over the past decade.

Salo missed 22 games during 2008-09, and coincidentally, his average NHL games lost per season has been 21.6.

That’s more than 26.3% of Ottawa’s/Vancouver’s regular season games each year – with more in the playoffs.

Sami Salo had some pretty serious shoulder injuries from his 1st until his 8th season, and recurring groin injuries from his 1st until his 10th seasons.

There were also injuries to his: ankle, foot, knee and leg, and his wrist and elbow. And, there were injures to his ribs, back and nose.

stats courtesy of tsn.ca

Another facial injury was delivered by Tampa Bay coach Rick Tocchet, who was then playing for Philly.

“Early in the first period [March 27, 2001]  Salo was cross-checked in the face…” wrote CBC.

“For his part, Salo received cracked teeth and a concussion, described by Senators coach Jacques Martin as mild that will force him to miss at least Wednesday night’s game….”

Salo’s inventory of injuries doesn’t include the cracked teeth and concussion – and Salo often played injured, which means that some injuries were never recorded – except in the ‘nucks’ records.

Sami isn’t known as a wuss.

“Obviously they have put some hardware into my face and you don’t want to start too early or work out too hard because they might shift,” Salo said. “I have to give it a little time to heal and hopefully by the end of the week we’ll know more and hopefully I can start increasing my workouts.”

He had a metal plate installed in his nose and another helping to hold together his cheekbone after an Alex Edler clearing attempt on November 1st, 2007.

Through it all, Salo has maintained a sense of humour.

During last spring’s playoffs, Sami was being cross-examined by a Chicago writer, about the nature of his injury.

“Maybe it’s just a burning sensation when you pee. You never know,” Salo responded.

That didn’t make the list, either.

*****

It was the recently retired Curtis Joseph who named Sami Salo “the Finnish MacInnis.”