Komisarek out, two U.S. Olympic ‘D’ spots open.

U.S. Olympic defenseman Mike Komisarek of the Toronto Maple Leafs will have shoulder surgery that will knock him out of the Vancouver Games and the rest of the NHL season. A date for the operation has not yet been set, the Maple Leafs said Wednesday.

“Our team doctors have recommended this after a determined effort to rehab the injury without surgery,” Komisarek said in a statement. “Having this done immediately is the right thing to do for the Leafs. I am truly sorry that I will not be able to represent my country at the Olympics.”

Team USA recently lost New Jersey Devils defenseman Paul Martin to a broken left forearm, leaving two openings on the blue line. The Ducks’ Ryan Whitney and James Wisniewski are already among the names being bandied about as possible replacements. Others include Pittsburgh’s Alex Goligoski and the Kings’ Rob Scuderi.

Tyler Myers of the Buffalo Sabres and Keith Yandle of the Phoenix Coyotes are the leading point producers among U.S.-born defensemen, but were not on the initial list of 60 players submitted to the IIHF as Olympic candidates by Brian Burke.

This entry was posted in Anaheim Ducks/NHL and tagged , , by J.P. Hoornstra. Bookmark the permalink.

About J.P. Hoornstra

J.P. Hoornstra covers the Dodgers, Angels and Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, San Bernardino Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Whittier Daily News and Redlands Daily Facts. Before taking the beat in 2012, J.P. covered the NHL for four years. UCLA gave him a degree once upon a time; when he graduated on schedule, he missed getting Arnold Schwarzenegger's autograph on his diploma by five months.

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