Matt Stajan will be out of the Toronto Maple Leafs' lineup for one to two weeks because of bleeding in his right eye as the result of a rowdy soccer game.
Stajan, the Leafs' No. 1 centre, was hit in the eye with a soccer ball before the Leafs' practice on Saturday during a warm-up exercise common to NHL teams. Players gather in a circle and try to keep the ball in the air as long as possible by kicking or heading it. If a player allows the ball to hit the floor, he is out of the game and the game ends when no players are left.
Apparently, Stajan was out of the game and was watching the final few players left in the game when he was hit with the ball. The blow ruptured blood vessels in his eye, an injury known as hyphema, and Stajan spent some time in the hospital.
However, Leafs president and general manager Brian Burke said Sunday night the injury is not considered serious. But the only cure is rest, which means Stajan will be out for one to two weeks.
"He has to stay out until the fluid in his eye clears," Burke said.
The soccer game has been a popular warm-up activity for years in the NHL. Stajan is not the first player to get hurt during one of those games.
John Mitchell, who moved up from the fourth line to replace Stajan on Toronto's top line, said he appreciates the opportunity, but not how it came about.
Given the competitive nature of hockey players, the soccer warm-up games can get boisterous, which is what happened on Saturday. Usually, the game is played in the hallways of the arenas where the ceilings are quite high, but this one was in a smaller room, at the Capitals' practice facility, which may also have been a factor in Stajan's injury.
"We were in a small room, so maybe the guys thought there would be a pinball effect, if [the ball] was kicked off a bench it might stay in air a bit longer," Mitchell said. "It got a little bit out of hand and it's unfortunate."
Burke said he is not about to ban the activity.
"Let's not overthink this," he said. "Every team in the league warms up this way."
Stajan was expected to fly home with the Leafs Sunday night, and he will be examined by team doctors on Monday.
