Many will use New York Islanders star John Tavares’ injury last week as proof that the NHL should stop sending its players to the Olympics. Islanders general manager Garth Snow already has.
But Tavares, who announced Tuesday that his partially torn MCL will not require surgery, said he would do it all again if given the chance.
“For me as a player, I think it’s important for us to play. I think you saw how much we love representing our countries, especially at that level,” Tavares told reporters, via CBSSports.com. “But put yourself in his shoes, and you can understand why teams are concerned about their players and injuries. Certainly I know he cares a lot about the Islanders and the organization, and so do I.
“There’s always that concern with this game. There’s always that risk when you step on the ice of possible injuries. It’s obviously a tough situation, but I certainly love playing for my country, and if I got the call again, I would.”
Tavares will miss the rest of the season for the Islanders, whose playoff aspirations were all but nonexistent even with their star in the lineup. Tavares’ injury is expected to sideline him for only two to three months, though, meaning he should be ready to go when the 2014-15 campaign kicks off in October.
Video screenshot via NHL.com
