Report: Halpern has torn ACL

No verification (or denial) from the team, but TSN is reporting that center Jeff Halpern has a badly torn ACL and will need reconstructive surgery. TSN doesn't attribute the information to anyone, and it's likely Halpern will be flown back to Tampa to be evaluated, so take all that for what it's worth. To see the story, click here.

The recuperation time for that sort of injury/surgery is generally measured in months, making it seemingly unlikely Halpern would be in uniform for the beginning of the season.

Keep checking back, as we'll update as soon as we have more information.

Comments

[Al]

GREAT!!!!!! Just what the lightning need right now, another player injured. I'm begining to think the team is cursed.

[Dan]

Better expand the free agent shopping list.

[Another Joe]

Well hopefully he will be able to return to the team in 2nd half of season and give us a boost. This does hurt though this guy is a solid player!

[Josh]

Just wanted I wanted to hear. The best part of the Richards deal is wrecked.

[Brian]

See, this is why pros should not play in international competition... if pros wanna represent their respective nations, then they should keep it for the Olympics. Their contracts just make them too valuable to be hurt in tourneys like this. I have to agree with Josh, the best part of the Brad Richards deal just went down the toilet. Although I do wish Jeff a speedy recovery and back in a Bolts jersey with a big Captain's "C" on his chest.

[jackie]

omg he better be fine for next season...that makes 4 or 5? of our guys that have gotten hurt and needed surgery in the last few months- vinny, ranger, luke, gratton (i think...), and not halpy...gggrrreeeeaaaattt

[léo]

Because of this very reason, I heard that this was probably the last international event that NHLers could attend. Gary Bettman intends to put in a rule barring NHL contracts over a certain amount from joining national teams.
Not too sure I got my facts straight, though.
Anyone know about this?
Cuz it would seriously affect Canada's competition more than anything else. Heck, we got 12yr old girls who can cross-check and thread the needle at the same time, we don't NEED our NHLers.
Can any other country keep up without THEIR NHLers? (ooh, I'm so bad)
P.S. Ottawa fans must be grindin' their teeth, watching Heatley tear it up. "Where the heck was ya, Danny?!"
P.

[GP]

Leo,

I think Russia could possibly be ok without the NHL'ers. They have so many uber talented NHL retreads over there playing professionally that they could probably field a former 1st round all star team. They could also draw an even better team of non NHL'ers if the new Russian league draws NHL talent away like they assume it will.

If the new feeder leagues like the USHL keep producing 1st round talent in the United States, we could also provide a decent team of USNDL, USHL, and NCAA players who have been previously drafted.

Oh and Leo .... Canada sucks. ;)

[léo]

OooooooooH!!
Dem's fightin' woids!
Yeah, we suck alright,
Better than everybody else. Ha!
Agree about the russians growing talent over in the gulag, but hockey is almost as important to them as it is to us canucks. But not as much, (and I don't mean that in the euro-sense that Bear does)
For the Yanks, hockey is not the Prime Athletic. The talent pool is diluted by football, soccer, basketball, whatever; whereas ALL our athletes try hockey FIRST, then move on to other things.
I'm not suggesting anything here...
And even if I say Canada's gonna whip all y'all's butts, well...
That goes without saying.
ooooh! Right in the ribs.
Peace.

[pd]

Uh and Canada did beat the American pro baseball dream team at the world baseball classic, under 21 mens basketball..Canada, World Field Lacrosse Champions ..Canada
Steve Nash, Larry Walker
Curling anyone?

[léo]

Really, PD? Basket-ball? I didn't know that.
Lacrosse? Does any other country even play that? Goes without saying; it's basically hockey for folks too gauche to skate. When babies are born, we don't give'em a rattle, we give'em a mini-lacrosse stick. Same thing. That's how I learned to catch green peas, truth be told.
Curling? Feh... Curling is like bowling and base-ball; it's not a sport. Doesn't count.
We're athletes, sure. Growing up in the dang tundra'll do it fer anybody.
But until we win a World Cup (a Mundial),
We're nobodies.
Soccer is the ONLY sport that unites humanity.
But this is not the blog fer that...unless anyone wants to give THAT a whirl?
Hockey. Canada.
We rule. Win or lose, we STILL rule, because every championship, every single one,
Canada is the team to beat. Even if we got WIPED out, the one before, we're ALWAYS the team to beat. "Oh, Russia's got a good team, this year. Oh, the Americans are really good, watch out; they're for real. Oh, my gosh, did you see Sweden? Oh, Finland, wow, what a team. Oh, the Czecks look unbeatable, this year. The Swiss, the Germans, oh, ah, ouch.." bla-bla-bla.
And Canada?
"..oh, um, er....ahem..uuuh, well, uh, they're pretty much the same; what's to talk about?"
That's right.
Rulers of the hockey dominion.
Peace.

[ajax]

My son is the proud owner of a Canadian Olympic Jersey. Hate to admit it but buying the USA jersey just didn't quench my love of hockey taste buds at the time of purchase. USA USA USA!!!!!

[bear]

Must be the Friday morning Joe but I agree with you Leo. Case closed on that one.