Associated Press article
Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman, using crutches as he recovers from knee surgery, says he won’t return to the NHL if he’s unable to overcome the intense pain from the injury.
Yzerman, 37, underwent knee surgery last Friday. The operation to correct the alignment of the right knee, performed by Dr. Peter Fowler of London, Ont., was said to be a success.
Yzerman chose the realignment procedure rather than reconstruction of the knee. He led the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup title despite the injury.
“The approach I have is, take the steps, do the rehab, see how it feels,” Yzerman told the Detroit News.
Yzerman acknowledged that it was possible he had played his last NHL game but remains committed to making a comeback.
“I’m concerned, but I’m not spending a lot of time worrying about it,” he said. “We did this with the idea of skating and not hurting any more, and there’s a chance that won’t happen. We really don’t know how I’m going to feel, but I’m not going to sit around and think negatively.”
Press Release
August 4, 2002
Detroit Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman underwent a successful knee osteotomy today. The procedure was performed by Dr. Peter Fowler of London, Ontario and observed by Red Wings team physician Dr. David Collon.
An osteotomy is a procedure that corrects the alignment of the knee, thus transferring pressure to the proper area. Following the procedure, Dr. Collon described the surgery as “totally successful” and noted that the examination of the knee during the procedure confirmed that the osteotomy was definitely the required procedure.
Yzerman is expected to return to the Wings’ lineup during a window of late December to early February.
“We’re very pleased with the result of Steve’s surgery,” said Detroit General Manager Ken Holland. “We’re optimistic that he will return to the lineup sometime in the middle of the 2002-03 season.”
The name of the hospital has not been released as the Yzerman family requests that media and fans respect their privacy during the initial recovery and rehabilitation process.
London Free Press article
August 3, 2002
by Kathy Rumleski
Steve Yzerman hopes to be back playing hockey in three to six months but he also knows “not to expect the world.”
Most important to the longest-serving captain in NHL history is being able to play with his kids.
World-renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Peter Fowler of London performed a 2*-hour osteotomy yesterday on the Detroit Red Wings’ star centre.
Yzerman had the surgery, which corrects the bone alignment of the knee, transferring pressure to the proper area, at the University campus of the London Health Sciences Centre. He is expected to remain there only a day.
