Giordano may return sooner than expected
Team expected to give update on captain Friday but coach says he’s optimistic
The Calgary Flames are expected to provide an update on the status of their captain later this week.
Mark Giordano has missed seven games with a hamstring issue, which he injured two weeks ago during a game against the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 4.
While it was revealed the 36-year-old isn’t skating yet,
Flames interim head coach Geoff Ward said he is trending in the right direction and ramping up his workouts.
“I know Gio, the last time he had this injury, he came back quickly, in six weeks,” Ward told the morning show on Sportsnet 960 The Fan on Tuesday. “It’s (been) two (weeks) now, so, he’s healing extremely well.”
Giordano could return sooner rather than later — despite the timeline of his previous injury of this nature — and the team is treating it on a day-by-day basis. That news is encouraging for a team that is amid a tight divisional battle and improved to 31-24-6 after Monday’s 6-4 win over the visiting Anaheim Ducks.
The Flames are expected to give an update on his status on Friday.
“The one thing about Gio,” Ward had said over the weekend. “You know he’s going to push as hard as he possibly can to get back as soon as he can. The last time this happened to him, I mean, he was back early. So, we fully anticipate we’ll see him sooner rather than later.”
Flames defender Travis Hamonic, meanwhile, missed his fifth game with an upper-body injury. Ward told Sportsnet The Fan 960 that his progression is a bit slower due to the nature of his injury.
“He’s starting to be less painful every day. So, I would think both guys are going to be available at some point down the stretch here. But, right now, it’s a week-by-week thing based on how it’s responding to the rehab.
“But I can tell you that both guys are in here working extremely hard because they want to get out there.”
NOTES
Tuesday was a day off for the team and they’ll regroup for practice Wednesday and Thursday. They’ll host the Boston Bruins on Friday (7 p.m., Sportsnet One, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet 960 The Fan) … The Flames Ambassadors’ Celebrity Poker Tournament for the Calgary Flames Foundation goes Wednesday at Cowboys Casino.