Injury bug hits Blazers . . . again

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
The hits just keep coming for the Kamloops Blazers.
The WHL team, which opened its seven-game exhibition schedule with a 6-5 shootout loss to the Vancouver Giants in Ladner on Friday night, found out earlier in the day that centre Colin Smith will be sidelined for up to eight weeks.
Smith, 16, was injured Wednesday in practice but didn’t find out that he had a broken right humerus until Thursday. The humerus is a long bone that runs from the elbow to the shoulder; Smith fractured his up high, near the shoulder.
According to general manager Craig Bonner, Smith, the seventh overall pick in the 2008 bantam draft, was injured when he fell and slid into a goal post during a 2-on-1 drill. Trainer Colin Robinson told Bonner that Smith didn’t hit the post “real hard.”
“He hit his arm,” Bonner said, “and when it happened they weren’t real sure. . . . They thought it might be nerve (damage) because he had some mobility. But when he came in (Thursday) he had no mobility . . . they finally found it was a fractured humerus.”
Smith totaled 55 points in 34 regular-season games with the Edmonton CAC Canadians last season. He was a first-year midget in a competitive midget AAA league.
The Blazers were looking for him to be their second-line centre, behind veteran C.J. Stretch, 20.
“Apparently, he has never been hurt before,” Bonner said of Smith, whose injured arm is in a sling. “But he’s a real competitive guy. He’ll be fine at the end of the day.”
“I’ve only broken a hand,” Smith said. “Hopefully, this heals quickly.”
Smith joins centre Dalibor Bortnak (torn spleen), forward Matej Bene (groin) and centre Jake Trask (groin) on the injured list.
Bortnak, a sophomore from Slovakia, was injured in Tuesday’s intrasquad game and was taken to Royal Inland Hospital with internal bleeding.
Bonner said Bortnak “probably” was going to be released from hospital yesterday. Bortnak is expected to be out up to eight weeks.
Bene, a freshman from Slovakia, left the intrasquad game with sore groins and won’t play in tonight’s rematch with the Giants at Interior Savings Centre. Trask, a sophomore centre, didn’t play Tuesday or last night, but is back skating and may play tonight.
“Better now than in February,” Bonner said of the rash of injuries.
The Blazers already have experienced three major injuries.
Prior to Bortnak and Smith being injured, defenceman Brady Gaudet, from Redvers, Sask., injured a knee and will be out for at least a month. When he’s healthy, Gaudet, the 10th overall pick in the 2009 bantam draft, will join the midget AAA Tisdale, Sask., Trojans.
Last night, in a feisty, penalty-filled game, the Blazers got two goals from C.J. Stretch and singles from Brendan Ranford, Tyler Shattock and Josh Caron. The Giants got the lone goal of the shootout from centre Mike Piluso.
Goaltender Justin Leclerc went the distance for the Blazers, who were outshot 39-25.
Referee Sean Raphael ejected Vancouver head coach Don Hay following some jostling between the Giants’ Brendan Gallagher and Brett Lyon of the Blazers as the third period started.
Game time tonight is 7 o’clock.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com