Andrew Gross reports on his Twitter page from Connecticut Whale training camp at Champions Skating Center in Cromwell, CT stated that Chad Kolarik’s injury that has kept him out of virtually everything to this point, has been diagnosed as a torn ACL. Kolarik will have surgery on Tuesday and will miss at least six months.
Kolarik’s injury is a big blow for a young Whale team that historically has had some trouble scoring goals early in a season. It is also a major setback for Kolarik, who came to the Whale last season in a trade for then captain Dane Byers, who was hoping to have a big season to expand upon a productive 2010-2011 season where he notched a combined 21g, 20a for 41pts in 49 games played between Springfield and Hartford.
Kolarik also got his first taste of NHL action playing in four games with the Rangers and tallied an assist for his first NHL point.
Ken Gernander and his staff will need to find a way to pull together the young talent on the roster and others will need to step up to fill that offensive role.
Our best wishes to Chad Kolarik for a full and speedy recovery.
