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 Monday, October 4
Stars outraged after Modano injury
 
Associated Press

 DALLAS -- Dallas Stars center Mike Modano, who suffered a mild concussion, broken nose and strained neck ligaments when hit from behind into the boards by Anaheim defenseman Ruslan Salei, is out of action indefinitely.

Darryl Sydor
Sydor

Mike Modano
Modano

Modano was taken off the ice on a stretcher Saturday and transported to Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, where X-rays, CAT scans and an MRI on his neck were all negative. He was held overnight for observation and released Sunday.

Modano, who was injured in the second period, will be evaluated in the next three to five days but won't play in Detroit on Tuesday, the team said.

Neither will defenseman Darryl Sydor, who suffered a fractured left eye socket in the third period as a result of a fight with Anaheim's Jim McKenzie. Sydor is also out for an unknown period of time, the Stars said.

That injury occurred when Sydor came to the aid of No. 2 center Joe Nieuwendyk, who was checked hard into the end boards by Mighty Ducks defenseman Pascal Trepanier. Nieuwendyk wasn't seriously injured and returned to the game.

Trepanier received a major for boarding and a game misconduct at 7:51 of the third period.

Both Salei and McKenzie were given five-minute major penalties. Salei was also given a game misconduct and McKenzie was given a double-game misconduct. The Stars went on to beat Anaheim 2-to-1.

The game tape and a medical report were being sent to the NHL for review, Stars officials said.

"I think those two players (Salei and Trepanier) are either the stupidest people in this league or they just brought themselves a hell of a war," said Stars coach Ken Hitchcock. The two teams meet again Friday in Anaheim.

"These were reckless plays and cheap shots," he said.

Brett Hull, Modano's linemate, said the No. 1 concern of NHL players is that sooner or later someone is going to get seriously hurt or killed on the type of hit Modano suffered.

"It's disgustingly cheap to have a guy in such a vulnerable position, and to just take advantage of firing him headfirst into the boards is worse than cowardly," Hull said.

"It's time for the powers-that-be in the NHL to put their foot down. ... It's time for them to sit up and make a lesson of (Salei)."

Salei said he had no intention of hurting Modano, who led the Stars in regular-season scoring with 81 points and playoff scoring with 23.

"I hope he's going to be fine," said Salei, who received a five-game suspension last season for slew-footing Phoenix's Daniel Briere. "I barely touched him. He was going fast and I tried to catch him. Maybe I touched him, but I don't think I hit him from behind or really pushed him."

 


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AUDIO/VIDEO
video
 Mike Modano has to leave the game with a neck injury. (Courtesy: KCAL Sports)
avi: 939 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1

audio
 Brutt Hull can't believe the cheap shot on Modano. (Courtesy: WFAA)
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6