| | ATLANTA -- Atlanta Thrashers general manager Don Waddell hopes an unconventional medical procedure will cure No. 1 goalie Damian Rhodes.
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| Rhodes |
Waddell said Rhodes returned to Vancouver on Wednesday, for the
second time in eight days, to undergo a treatment similar to the
one that benefited Atlanta Hawks guard Jim Jackson.
Rhodes, who will receive a third treatment Feb. 23, has been
sidelined since Nov. 18 and has missed 37 games with a right ankle
sprain. During the layoff, he also underwent arthroscopic surgery
on his left knee.
"His knee is fine," Waddell said Wednesday night. "We're
hoping if all goes well he can resume skating at the beginning of
the week, and in 10 to 14 days he'll be ready to play."
Jackson, the Hawks' second leading scorer with 17.8 points per
game, has had no troubles since his ailing knees were treated in
Toronto with shockwave therapy akin to the procedure used to
dissolve kidney stones.
Waddell said U.S. doctors have yet to embrace the treatment.
"After talking to Damian Monday, I feel that he's put himself
in position to turn the corner and we can see light at the end of
the tunnel," Waddell said. "We were starting to get a little
nervous. Now with him trying to start skating next week -- obviously
we aren't going to rush anything -- we have hope."
Rhodes, 3-7-2 with a 3.29 goals-against average, came to the
expansion Thrashers with an eight-year NHL career average of 2.62.
Rookies Scott Fankhouser, Norm Maracle and Scott Langkow have a combined record of 8-33-4 in his absence. | |
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