Folks, it has been awhile, and I appreciate your patience and all the kind words during my injury and absence. This has been the hardest two months of my career. During other injuries, I could see a light at the end of the tunnel. But this time, that light seems a long way off.

I have always bounced back quick from setbacks. But then, I have never suffrered an injury this serious. I don't want to dwell on this for long, since the focus right now is the playoffs. But, maybe it will help you all understand the situation and you won't have to ask me when I'll be ready.

I am skating, lifting and training very hard. Physically, I feel great. I have not done any contact since I got hurt and that does not help my preparation. But, the only way to really create game situations is to play a game. I am doing what I can to stay ready, but medically, I , and my family do not have all the questions answered yet. Until then, I will support the guys and hope for the best. I would like nothing better than to play in the playoffs.

Now, on to the exciting stuff. The games! At 3-1 in the series, we have to be thrilled with the results and we have done it while not really playing our best yet. However, I am not trying to diminish the efforts of our team by any means. No way. The bottom line is we are winning. Gutsy performances by everyone so far. If you have watched the games, you have noticed the intensity is much higher, the physical play has picked up and the mistakes become much more magnified. Trust me when I tell you, these players are real warriors. Not only are they banged up. Playing four games in five nights in the playoffs no less, is a battle of wills.

Many of our players are experiencing their first professional playoff series, and you can see the anxiousness, the nervousness. Of course it is natural. It kills me not to be in there with them. I know my experience would help, but the veterans we have are really stepping up and leading. The most important thing I have learned is a series is not won in the first game or the first minute. Patience and poise are very big in the playoffs. You often hear that it is more like a marathon than a sprint, meaning the series is long and drawn out and those who can pace themselves and endure will be there in the end.

After sitting here tonight, watching the Habs beat the Briuns, I also know the importance of home ice, which Hartford has, especially in game 7. We have a chance to close this team out tomorrow. It is not time for us to have the mindset there are 3 games left. Every game now is game 7. Finish them off! Killer instinct...

Now, we sit by the radio tomorrow, listening to Greg Glynn's every word. I hope the boys finish the deal. Weino

We have started down the home stretch with 20some games left, and playing on the road is a good place to start. Why, because to win in the playoffs, you have to win on the the road. As a team, we are playing more consistent away from home and thus our road record is much better this year.Normally, contrary to belief, most guys like playing in other buildings. There is less pressure, and the other team needs to put on the show for their fans. It is much more eveident in the NHL, where the expectations of the home team is very high.

But, in the AHL, the fan support rarely wavers and the atmosphere is much more similar to a college crowd. The fan support continues throughout the game and they actually help to pick up a team lacking spark on certain nights. Unlike most NHL rinks, where they really get on the home team if they falter. So, on our trip, we encountered some of the most rabid fans we'll see thia year, in full houses no less. Hershey and Wilkes-Barre have become hotbeds for their respective AHL teams and the fans come out in droves. The rivalry between Portland and Hershey has exploded into a war since the playoffs a few years ago.

This game was no different. Fueled by Hershey's promotion of free park passes, the building was brimming with Bear fanatics, young and old. Ever since I played my first game in Hershey, the fan support there has been ferocious. Always a tough place to play, the crazed people of the Hershey area add to the frenzy on the ice, exhibited by the constant back and forth chatter of fans and players by the bench.

This game had more meaning for us, though. As Anaheim was celebrating their Cup victory with a trip to the White House, we learned that the brass from Anaheim, along with Head Coach Carlyle and the owner were on their way to the game! Brian Burke stated that he had been in pro hockey a long time, and never had seen an owner of a team make a trip to see the minor league team play. I, too, can say the same. Excluding Mr. Snider in Philly, since both teams played there, our owner came across the country and travelled from DC to see us play. And, took us to dinner after the game.

Well, with this kind of incentive, we really wanted to perform well, especially the young prospects. The start of the game didn't go as planned and we were down 3-1 going into the third period.

Hershey has been a powerhouse for some time now and we had a tall task ahead of us against a great team at home. I failed to mention the weather in Hershey was a balmy 65 degrees making the ice like slush and made equipment wet and heavy. Games like these it is hard to get enough fluids. We went down to 5 defensemen when Brendan Mikkleson went down with an injury. Did I mention the 8 hour bus ride the day before. See how you feel after riding a bus all day when you get up the next day.

Enough of the excuses already. We had a game to win and alot to play for. And comeback we did. Our guys came storming back and capped off a dramatic comeback on a blast by Petteri Wirtanen. Physically, it was as tough a game as I have played in a while. And it was a sweet feeling in the room after.

When we got back to the hotel, the Ducks organization treated us to a very nice meal at the hotel. We all introduced ourselves to the staff ands enjoyed a fun meal together. These are the kinds of nights you remember for a long time.

I have a feeling some of our guys will meet up with the owners again in the near future... Weino

I was recently at a highschool game, and I had an interesting conversation with a parent. It was concerning concussions. It has become kind of an epidemic in contact sports in this era. Not only professional sports, but highschool and youth as well.

When I was in highschool, I had a teammate who had suffered a few head injuries and it became such a problem that he had to limit his participation. This was really my first experience seeing an athlete suffer from a concussion. Throughout my collegiate career and early in my professional contests, I saw players and had a few occasions where I was "dinged". At this stage in the game, the medical view on concussion monitering and prevention was not as extensive as it has become.You would sit a shift or two, tell the trainer you were ready to go and you were back in the action. That night you may have had a headache, but it was common. How times have changed.

The amount of documented concussions now is very high and on the rise. Why has it become so wide spread? Are athletes faster, stronger and maybe more reckless? Or maybe the respect or lack of respect for another athlete has gone by and instead become who can make more of a statement with a big hit. Whatever the reason, it is a major issue in the world of sports today.

Just this season, the amount of time lost for head injuries is staggering. Some of the hits are borderline and it is quite evident that in injury may have occured. But, in some instances, it may not result in a blow toward the head, just the force of the collision. And, when this happens, close monitoring of the player starts. Usually, when a player has the symptoms, he is out of the game and must pass the baseline test to return along with a doctors approval. Baseline testing is done at the beginning of each season so the doctors and trainers have some idea of what to look for after a head injury.

This leads me to the conversation with the parent the other night. She begins to tell me how her son suffered a concussion during a game. They had done the baseline testing before the season and continue to do it each year. A practice used in many highschools nowadays. Then, she told me that she had heard some of the kids would purposely do poorly on the test, so if they were concussed during an event, they would not appear to be to severe! I was shocked, but not surprised. So much pressure has been put on highschool and youth sports today that kids feel they cannot afford to be injured or miss games for fear it may hinder their chances of a scholarship. Let me tell you, nothing is more important than a clear head.

Moreover, the prevention and care of athletes at this age must continue to progress so that problems won't grow worse at an early age. A show on ESPN broke my heart when a young highschool football player tried to play through a concussion and as it got worse suffered irreperable brain damage because the parnets nor the student realized the severity of the past injury. This is our life, and teams invest alot of time and money into each player, so the health and welfare of the team is of upmost importance to them. Your sons and daughters are not pro athletes but they are you world.

These injuries effect each player differently, but the care of each should not change. I know our guys are held out of action more for precautionary measures. When I got knocked out cold, I went to the emergency room for a CAT scan. Fortunately, I have had no lingering effects of past injuries, knock on wood. But a few guys I have played with have not been so lucky. Pat LaFountaine, maybe the most gifted player to ever come out of the US had his career cut short by concussion problems, or post- concussion syndrome. He is now a national spokesman for the cause. Another teammate of mine, Keith Primeau, was barely 30 when he had to stop. And the most publicized case is surly Eric Lindros, who is best known for receiving a huge hit from Scott Stevens in the Stanley Cup playoffs. All three of these guys were in their prime, and all were star players.

Just recently, I was on my bike, I'm an avid cyclist, and I was riding over to my brother's house about two miles away. Not paying enough attention, I went into a large frost heave and went down on my shoulder and side. And without realizing right away, my head. I have always worn a helmet and can tell you after two crashes, they saved me from more serious trouble. Both times my helmet was cracked. They are meant for one crash and that is it. Without the helmet, I may not have played that weekend.

The league has mandated new helmets every season, now, and will not allow players to keep the same helmets year after year and alter the foam. I know in youth and highschool football, the same practice is used. Although it may seem expensive, it may be cheaper in the long run. Don't comprimise a child's future by neglecting to check equipment, especially headgear.

The NHL has seen its share of dangerous hits this season, and guys like Patrice Bergeron of the Bruins is probably done for the year. Hopefully with more education and publicity of these reckless hits, we may see a decline in concussions.Please don't take this matter lightly. Use your head!

Weino