Knee Surgery
"“What became of the man that started All are gone and their souls departed Left me here in this place So all alone” ~from Stranger in a Strange Land"
Jan 21, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Boston Bruins left wing David Pastrnak (88) and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson (6) collide into the boards in the first period at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Around the time of the All Star Weekend, it was noted that Erik Johnson wasn’t attending all of the Avalanche practices. He was taking a lot of “maintenance days,” days off that the players fought for in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
No one could ever call Johnson lazy or undisciplined. Those of us who noticed the absences from practice grew worried.
Our worries were founded. Johnson was taking so many “maintenance days” because he was suffering tremendous knee pain. He was trying to power through it, but the pain was getting to be too much.
As a result of all this pain, he had to bow out of All Star festivities. While some cynical pundits hinted that this was a ploy so he could rest up for a week instead of participating in the All Star Weekend, this wasn’t the case.
On January 26, 2015, Erik Johnson underwent arthroscopic knee surgery. He was predicted to miss 3 to 8 weeks.
This seemed such a blow to his career season, but one that could be overcome — especially if his recovery was closer to three than eight weeks.
Next: Reconditioning and Physical Therapy