Blazers camp . . .

From The Daily News of Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2007 . . .

Alex Rodgers says he’s ready for his sophomore WHL season.
Well, almost ready.
“Everything except the shoulder,” Rodgers, an 18-year-old left-winger from
Salmon Arm, said Monday prior to a session at the Kamloops Blazers’ training
camp at Memorial Arena.
“My mind, fitness . . . everything is there except the shoulder,” he added.
Rodgers, suffered a severe shoulder injury Feb. 9 during a line brawl in a
5-1 loss to the Giants in Vancouver.
It was the first fight of his hockey career.
“Yes, it was my first real go at it,” Rodgers said of the incident in which
he was grabbed by Vancouver left-winger Mike Wuchterl, who was then 19 and
is built like a fire hydrant.
“I had never been in that much pain before,” Rodgers said of the moments
after he was hurt. "(Trainer Colin Robinson) tried to calm me down but I
just could not calm down. There was just too much pain.”
The end result was reconstructive surgery March 23, with Dr. Ross
Outerbridge doing the rebuilding. What followed was some intensive rehab
work, under the watchful eye of Kevin Brechin of Excelerate Sports Therapy,
who works with the club.
“I worked with him until the end of June . . . five days a week,” Rodgers
said. “There was a lot of manual work, just pounding away. I’m so thankful
for him . . . I wouldn’t be where I am without him.”
Just where is Rodgers?
“He’s getting close,” Robinson said. “I’d look for him about the time of the
last couple of exhibition games.”
That would be Sept. 11, against the host Chilliwack Bruins, and Sept. 14,
when the Kelowna Rockets are in town.
Rodgers, who was injured in Game 54, picked up 17 points, including six
goals, in 41 games. That included a stretch where he totalled 12 points in
14 games and became a key part of the special teams.
Now he said he has been out of action long enough.
“It was basically the whole second half of the season,” said Rodgers, whose
nickname is — yes! — A-Rod. “Even now I’m having trouble watching main camp.
I want to get out there.”
All that remains is for the medical staff to clear him for contact,
something that is expected in September.
For now, though, Rodgers is the guy listed on Team Blue but wearing a yellow
jersey.
p p p
THE WALKING WOUNDED: C Jimmy Bubnick (flu, day-to-day); D Matt Johnston
(concussion, indefinite); D Mark Schneider (wrist, four to six weeks); LW
Danny Stevens (concussion, indefinite).
p p p
JUST NOTES: Johnston, who is out with a concussion, was injured in camp with
the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits. . . . Stevens, who is from Chase, is 6-foot-6 1/2
and showed up weighing 315 pounds. He was checked by D Kevin Kraus in a
Sunday night scrimmage and ended up with a lump over one eye and a
concussion. . . . Bubnick, who took part in the first two days of rookie
camp, may be back on the ice today. But if he isn’t feeling well, he won’t
be rushed back. . . . With INXS playing Interior Savings Centre tonight,
Robinson said the Blazers will be able to move back into the big rink after
11:30. So he, Dev Mitra, Pete Friedel, Dave Japp, Spike Wallace and Brechin
will work into the wee hours to get everything from Memorial Arena back to
the team’s regular dressing room. . . . The Blazers released five 1992-born
players last night — RW Kyle Bodnaruk (Winnipeg), C Grayson Downing
(Abbotsford), D Nolan Kaiser (Calgary), C Neil Landry (Saskatoon) and G Josh
Thorimbert (Saskatoon). All five were 2007 bantam draft selections. “They
got their taste,” GM/head coach Dean Clark said, “and now it’s time for them
to go home and get settled in.” . . . Clark, by the way, has really liked
holding main camp on the smaller ice surface at Memorial Arena. “It’s been a
good thing,” he said. “Guys can’t hide out there. We may do it again next
year.” . . . The last two pros to skate with the Blazers — Erik Christensen
and Tyler Redenbach — left Monday. . . . There will be two scrimmages today
— 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. — at Memorial Arena. The intrasquad game goes
Wednesday, 7 p.m., at Interior Savings Centre.