San Jose Sharks winger suffered concussion from Tkachuk hit
SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks forward Mike Hoffman said Saturday he’s been dealing with a concussion for the last two weeks and was unsure when he’d be cleared to return to the lineup.
Hoffman said he suffered the concussion on a hit from behind from Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk in a March 9 game at SAP Center. Hoffman was playing the puck in the corner to the right of the Sharks’ net when Tkachuk hit him in the back, causing his face to collide with the glass.
Hoffman, 34, had to be helped off the ice after the hit. There was no penalty call on the play.
“I remember the puck was in our D zone,” Hoffman said. “I got it kind of on my low winger in the corner. Then I kind of went back to the play and made a play off the wall and then I just got finished from behind.
“Didn’t really see (Tkachuk) coming at all.”
Hoffman said the concussion was the first of his playing career and his recovery, like others who have been through the same thing, has involved rest and hydration.
“Try not to use your brain too much. Limit your phone time, Limit TV,” Hoffman said. “Tried to be outdoors a lot, going on walks, just to give me something to do other than sitting on the couch.”
Hoffman joined the Sharks on the ensuing road trip and has done some light skating. He was on the ice again Saturday morning as the Sharks got ready for their home game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Hoffman did not play Saturday but is making progress as he continues to go through protocols to hopefully become symptom-free as soon as possible.
“I’m not there yet. it’s coming along,” Hoffman said. “I’m not really sure on a timeline on when I’ll be back, but it’s definitely closer.”
Tkachuk on Hoffman #GoSensGo
(: Sportsnet) pic.twitter.com/Wv4rBGZHbU
— UNSENSRD (@unsensrd) March 10, 2024
Hoffman was acquired by the Sharks from the Montreal Canadiens last August as part of the three-team trade that sent Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 61 games for the Sharks this season, he has 10 goals and 22 points.
For his 13-year NHL career, Hoffman has 486 points in 740 games.
After Saturday’s game, the Sharks, in last place in the NHL standings with 39 points, have 12 games left, with their regular season finale on April 18 in Calgary.
“It’s never easy to go through an injury,” Hoffman said. “Regardless of it’s the start of the season, middle or the end, they all suck. So I’m just trying to do everything that I can to get myself prepared and ready to finish off the season on a positive note.”
Hoffman, 34, is a pending unrestricted free agent. The Sharks traded soon-to-be UFAs in winger Anthony Duclair, defenseman Radim Simek, goalie Kaapo Kahkonen, but others such as Hoffman, Kevin Labanc and Alexander Barabanov remained in San Jose.
“There was obviously a possibility, there was a chance,” Hoffman said. “Obviously any player who is going into UFA and is not on a playoff team, there is always going to be chatter about. It just comes with the business that we play in. It’s one of those things that comes around every year. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t.
“I’m not really worried about that. I’m worried about taking care of what I can control and that’s just putting myself in the best shape and preparing the best way I can to go out there and play as well as I can.”
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