Seriously this is a simple case of circumstances shafted him if anything. The kid had a shot we all dream of…of course he’s gonna say he thinks he’s ready, even if he has a bit of pain still. Pro’s play thru the pain. He wanted to be a pro. We all woulda done the exact same at 19 or whatever age he is. And frankly, back injuries aren’t like a knee or other joint where it’s easy to find and fix a problem. So yeah, it’s very concievable that two or three or more doctors would misdiagnose the problem…especially if he’s trying to minimize it’s appearance to get the tryout for the big show. It’s unfortunate, and yes he did get the shaft, but not by the Canucks or Gillis or AV, regardless of how much u want to blame one or all of them (yoata). And he didn’t shaft himself either…it was just one of those lousy things that happens sometimes. He’ll be back next year to show us all what we expect to see, and it’ll all be forgotten by November.

No.

-Did Hodgson lie about being ready to play so that he could at least play some preseason games, and by god, prove that he belonged in the NHL?

Maybe. But what kid wouldn’t say he was ready to play? It’s like when my boss asks if I can take on more work. I almost always say “yes”, because nobody wants to say no. And Hodgson isn’t a doctor – that should be up to management/training staff/doctors.

-Were the Canucks’ doctors wrong and the dudes at the Cleveland clinic correct about the injury?

It certainly looks that way. The fact he hasn’t played yet this year would suggest so.

-Should the Canucks have at least given Hodgson a 9-game try-out during the regular season after his back was healed and then made a decision? What or who would that have hurt?

He could be sitting on LTIR right now, healing up, costing nothing but his salary and a year on his contract, and we’d have the option of replacing one of our non-producing forwards with him right now. It would have hurt nobody except the owner’s pockets, which hasn’t seemed to be a concern.

-Do you sometimes wake up at night in a cold sweat wondering why the hell Kyle Wellwood is centering the 3rd line and Hodgson potentially isn’t? Would we have been better off with Hodgson in the lineup over Wellwood in hindsight?

Yes. At least, a healthy Hodgson. Which we now have no option for the remainder of this year.

-Will Hodgson’s return to the OHL impede his progress?

Probably not. But there was nothing that could be gained by sending him there.

In my opinion, management screwed up big time in this case. It would look good on everyone involved if they would be man enough to admit they were wrong. AV’s comments especially look ridiculous now.

You may never get the definitive answer you want, Sean, cuz most likely no one is b.s.’ing anyone else.

CH had a bad camp and now truly believes he has a bad back.

… Cuz it’s true?

… Cuz he needs to believe it (which could potentially be a healthy attitude if it salvages his confidence)?

…Is the back OK (2 out of 3 docs agree)?

… Or was it just that tricky a diagnosis?

… Are the diagnoses themselves cut and dried or is medicine still as much an art as a science?

… Something else that we don’t even know about yet?

… A little of everything?

The same guys on this board most strongly saying CH should not have been playing in camp are the ones who screamed the loudest at the time that he should have been playing more. O tempora! O mores!

Any serious injury at the time, real or imagined, just wasn’t apparent to anyone watching, not to CH nor to his most ardent defenders, or they wouldn’t have been demanding additional ice time for him. Those demands are archived on this very board.

Yet, in the face of CH’s own statements made during camp as well as the professional medical opinions given, it is now, in classic 20/20 hindsight, supposed to have been crystal clear to the team? And that constitutes shafting? Where “success” would have constituted forbidding CH, against his own wishes and the advice of the docs, from trying out for the team at all? Truly, the loonies wanna take over the asylum.

My own suspicions are twofold:

1) he started w/a sore back, it got better, and he had a bad camp anyway, and needing a reason – so he could do something about it, a good instinct to start with – the best reason he could see was that it had to be entirely due to an injury. I suspect if the back contributed at all, it was only partially, but we will never know.

2) his critics better hope no one ever holds them to the standards they are holding the team, nor that others damn them on ambiguous evidence as readily as they do others. They would not last long.

Anyway, I’ve said my piece, same as I’ve said it before. I thought I’d add it one time to this thread but won’t be revisiting the matter. Others can take their shots at me here all they want; last word is theirs.

Hodgson

Looks like he’s behind in his conditioning and timing, but also like he is playing with very little confidence, thinking too much instead of moving his feet and letting his very good hockey instincts take over. Has the ability, but needs a pep talk.

by yoata on Sep 23, 2009 8:37 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

…He’s not a checker/energy guy/banger/crasher, he’s a projected top line player, how are you supposed to really asses that ability with 4th line minutes…

by yoata on Sep 28, 2009 7:34 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Somebody else should recommend this post so that it stays at the top of the fan post section. I need 2 more of you to do so. Cool?

…we’re now talking about jettisoning the Sedins to allow room for Shirokov and Grabner??

We need MORE forwards, not dealing our top 2.

Something is not right in the whole story, I have a feeling, thats all Im going on.

It’s funny how 54% of voters don’t care!

Hodgson, through Meehan, has declined numerous interview requests and the Brampton club has extended the media blackout to Battalion head coach Stan Butler. The club says that neither Hodgson nor Butler will grant interviews until the player has returned to playing in games.

Asked if the lockdown had come from the OHL team, a club spokesman said: “No, we’re just following orders.” Whose orders, he wouldn’t say.

Canucks GM Mike Gillis said on Thursday that the dictum doesn’t come from his organization. Asked how involved the Canucks are in Hodgson’s rehab, Gillis said: “We’re monitoring it. He’s under the care of Dr. Miniaci in Cleveland. We know he’s in good hands.”

Crazy. What’s the deal? I think I’m getting it..