Taking the body for granted

Sporting News, The, Oct 13, 1997 by Larry Wigge

His answers were lucid but short, not nearly as introspective as usual. But the tipoff that Pat LaFontaine wasn't himself wasn't that he had scored no points in the game, a 4-2 Sabres win November 1 in St. Louis. Rather, it was that there was no twinkle in LaFontaine's eyes. His usually bubbly attitude and smile were missing.

A blindside check by Penguins defenseman Francois Leroux a couple of weeks earlier had inflicted a fifth concussion on LaFontaine, whose '96-97 season would end a month later because of constant headaches. At age 31, his career was in jeopardy.

"The conversation we had is a little fuzzy." LaFontaine says now, "but then everything I did for a couple of months was fuzzy."

We marvel at how fast hockey players come back from injuries that would sideline baseball players for months. Often an ice pack or a couple of stitches is all it takes to get a player back on the ice. Amazing.

But that macho mentality sometimes can be a double-edged sword. The drive it takes to become a successful player often is the very thing that blinds a player to the hazards of the job. Brett Lindros' NHL career ended after only 51 games because he suffered too many concussions. So when is enough enough? And when is it time to call it quits?

LaFontaine is back for more this season after being traded to the Rangers on September 29. Doctors in Buffalo say he shouldn't play, and they wouldn't allow him to train with the Sabres before the deal. One more concussion, they say, could turn the five-time All-Star into a vegetable. LaFontaine and the Rangers' doctors say he is not at any more risk than a player who has sustained just one concussion.

"I think you'd have to get your head checked if you didn't want to come back and play the game you love," LaFontaine says. "No pun intended."

On the surface, LaFontaine seems to be himself again. He says he has been fully recovered for seven months and had hoped to be cleared to play in last season's playoffs after appearing in just 13 regular-season games, but the Sabres' doctors said no. LaFontaine's smile and great sense of humor are back as well, but you still have to flinch every time you see him get hit. He has never been a physical player.

LaFontaine, however, is not alone on the comeback trail. Carolina left winger Gary Roberts, Toronto left winger Wendel Clark, San Jose left winger Tony Granato and St. Louis goaltender Grant Fuhr are other prominent players who may be one hit away from the end of their careers. Yet, they are still playing at a time when many former teammates are retired.

"Macho mentality, yes, there's no question we all do some stupid things just to stay in the game," says Clark, whose severe back problems require constant surveillance. His back has forced him to miss hundreds of games in his career, and he receives acupuncture treatments nearly every day during the season.

"The equipment gets better and better." Clark says as he pulls his shirt up and points to needle marks still visible on his lower back. Then, speaking for hockey players as a whole, he says. "It's almost like we think we are indestructible."

The pain is gone, and the muscles are chiseled. At 203 pounds (12 pounds heavier than usual, with 8 percent body fat). Gary Roberts is in the best shape of his life. He is a prime commodity in today's game, a power forward who excels in front of the net and in the corners. Roberts is even more valuable because he can score.

"I know there will be people who think I'm nuts and others who think this is great," says Roberts, who retired in June 1996 because of pain in his neck and shoulders after two cervical operations. "But I know what I've been through and how I feel."

A new treatment last November has removed the pain, cleared much of the scar tissue and, Roberts says, regenerated some of the nerves that were damaged in his neck. The ultimate price he might be forced to pay is some form of paralysis, but he has medical clearance from his doctors to play.

Roberts spent his first 10 seasons in Calgary, but the Flames deemed his future too risky to gamble $2 million per season. They traded him in August to Carolina, where Hurricanes G.M. Jim Rutherford has no qualms about taking risks. He points to the now-retired Cam Neely and Mario Lemieux as players who excelled playing part-time.

"Cam Neely scored 50 goals in just 49 games for Boston in 1993-94 and Mario Lemieux won scoring titles playing in 64, 60 and 70 games," Rutherford says. "If a player like Gary Roberts or Pat LaFontaine wants to come back and give it a try and has medical clearance, I would never turn them down."

The Hurricanes were one of maybe a half-dozen teams interested in signing Roberts during the offseason. The Flames, however, were unwilling or afraid to believe Roberts could play effectively again. They are not alone in that thinking, and they may be right. But this is not the same Gary Roberts who broke into the NHL 11 years ago. With experience, all players learn the subtle nuances of the game--how to avoid direct hits, how to position the body, how to be aggressive but not reckless. There are some advantages that come with being a veteran player in any sport.