Hernia surgery ends Hunwick’s season
Marlies’ Loov called up on emergency basis to fill in on Maple Leafs’ blue line
Matt Hunwick appeared in the dressing room after the Maple Leafs practised Tuesday.
He was in street clothes, his eyes were moist and his expression was downcast.
The 30-year-old journeyman defenceman, who had resurrected his NHL career with the Leafs this season, announced he’s shutting it down for the final 17 games of the regular season. Hunwick will have sports hernia surgery, with a recovery time of eight to 10 weeks.
In an emergency move, defenceman Viktor Loov was promoted from the Marlies, the team’s AHL affiliate, in time for Wednesday’s home game against the New York Islanders.
Hunwick’s injury came as somewhat of a surprise considering he logged 27:09 of ice time against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night and didn’t seem to be limited in any way.
However, there were subtle signs that all was not well. The day before the Sabres game, he sat out practice.
“Throughout the game, I continued to have soreness,” Hunwick said, adding he thought he could play through it.
Last month, Hunwick sat out four straight games with the injury, which he first suffered about a month ago against the Vancouver Canucks.
He began to worry that he would risk other areas of his body if he continued to try to overcompensate for the injury.
“I actually felt pretty good in my first game back against Montreal (Feb. 27) and then kind of had some issues the last few games,” Hunwick said. “It’s tough” accepting the news. I didn’t sleep real well last night.”
When Hunwick stepped on the ice in October, he was wearing an “A” on his sweater, which was a sign of the leadership ability the Leafs trusted him with.
Alternate captains are not normally outsiders new to the room. They don’t usually have Hunwick’s resume.
Last season, Hunwick played with the New York Rangers as a depth defenceman and last summer signed atwo-year deal with the Maple Leafs. The puck-moving Hunwick was a stable force on the Leafs blue line, enjoying a top pairing with Morgan Rielly.
Hunwick regularly logged 20-plus minutes a game en route to scoring two goals and adding eight assists in 60 games.
Hunwick said he was pleasantly surprised that he managed to work his way up the depth chart.
“It was probably more than I imagined when I first signed here in the summer,” said the native of Warren, Mich. “I came in hoping to compete for maybe a spot in the top four. Obviously, my role evolved pretty quickly here.”
Head coach Mike Babcock said the team will miss Hunwick.
“He plays important minutes for us,” Babcock said. “But someone else gets a real good opportunity.”
The rearguards who may get increased minutes will be Connor Carrick and Frank Corrado. It’s not certain how much playing time Loov will get.
“Obviously, these kids are getting real good looks,” Babcock said.
The 23-year-old Loov will be making his fifth appearance with the parent team this season. He has collected two assists in four games.