Senators defenceman confident he’s recovering nicely from ankle injury
If the Ottawa Senators do get to play the final 11 games of the 201920 season, Mark Borowiecki is certain he’ll be ready for action.
Borowiecki, sidelined with an ankle injury since before the NHL paused its season March 12, told reporters in a video conference Thursday afternoon he has been working out at home and is confident he’d be ready to play if the season resumed.
But he hasn’t skated yet.
“I’m feeling really good,” said Borowiecki. “Given the circumstances, it’s a bit tough to tell on-ice wise. I have a pair of skates at home that I haven’t yet put on. I’ve been training very hard. I’ve got a pretty sweet setup at home and I’m pretty fortunate because that’s where I train in the summers. Everything was in storage and I hadn’t really been anticipating an early start like this.
“I’ve been able to push it pretty hard and it’s responding well. I’ve been feeling better and better every day. I’ve been running, I’ve been active, jumping on it. No issues, no ill-effects, so I would imagine I’m very far along, if not completely healthy.”
A pending unrestricted free agent, Borowiecki was asked if he had given any thought to the fact he may have suited up for his final game in an Ottawa uniform.
However, it should be noted general manager Pierre Dorion has stated he intends to sign the rugged blueliner to a deal that will make him a “Senator for life.”
“That’s an interesting question. To be honest, I haven’t given it a whole lot of thought ... A question like that, and having to think about that, invokes a lot of emotion in me, given everything I’ve had with this organization.
“You guys have watched me literally bleed for this team and to not be part of this team would be a difficult change for sure, but we don’t know what the future holds so we’ll take it as it comes when all is said and done.”
Bo rowiec ki said hockey shouldn’t be at the forefront at the moment.
“I can see a scenario where we do get started. There’s a lot at stake for us as a league, as players and as professionals,” said Borowiecki. “The bigger thing for me is ice hockey is a game, it’s a sport and I understand that sport happening is a return to a sense of normalcy and it can be good for people in a time of coping and getting over this.
“What’s even more important are tangible health results, where people are healthy and safe. That’s my priority right now. As a players’ union and as a league, we really have to plan for anything going forward. If you do get the green light
We’re still in a much better position than 99 per cent of the population and we need to be cognizant of that.
you want to be ready to hit the ground running. But at the same time, you don’t want to sound tone deaf. We’re a group of extremely privileged, fortunate people who aren’t going through much hardship right now.
“Are we losing revenue? Sure. Are we going to take a hit for it financially? Sure, but we’re still in a much better position than 99 per cent of the population and we need to be cognizant of that.
“The sanctity of the game and playoff tradition means nothing when people in our communities are losing their livelihoods, losing jobs, struggling to make ends meet financially and local businesses are floundering.
“All that stuff should take priority right now. That’s my focus. Hockey is still going to be here after this pandemic and we have a passionate people in our union and our league who are going to do what’s right to get this going when the time is right.”