Should we worry about long absences?

Do you prefer the good news or the bad news first? Let’s go with the good one. In a few days, the Canadian will reunite with Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield and Sean Monahan, after convalescences of 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 months.

The bad ?

In a few days, the Canadian will reunite with Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield and Sean Monahan… after convalescences of 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 months.

Half a year without competitive hockey is a long time. Remember the loud cries, in 2020-2021, when the pandemic forced the cancellation of midget and junior games across the country. It was panic. Our young hockey players will fall behind, we heard. They will be overtaken by those who continue to play, such as the Americans and Europeans.

If it was true three years ago, it’s still true today, right?

The general manager of the Canadiens, Kent Hughes, said a few words about these prolonged absences in April. Words quickly forgotten, which deserve to be republished. “It’s certain that there will be an impact. Slaf and Arber have missed around 40 games. These are very important parts. Martin St-Louis often talks about reps [répétitions]. They definitely lost reps. »

There has not been “zero development,” Hughes said. It’s true. Players were able to study the game from the top of the press box.

What concerns me is not so much the nature of the injuries, even if a maganated shoulder, for a strong man like Xhekaj, it can be annoying. No, what concerns me most is all the time spent away from the game over the past three years. Especially for Kaiden Guhle and Arber Xhekaj, who played in junior leagues strongly affected by the pandemic. Guhle finished last season only a few weeks before his teammates, but he missed two months just before that.

I have compiled the matches played over the last three seasons, in all competitions, both in season and in the series. Only exclusion: preparatory games, at training camp. Observation: Guhle and Xhekaj played fewer games than the 10 skaters who received the most votes for the Calder Trophy last winter. Up to 80 games less than Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston.

Optimists will note that Jake Sanderson, terrific in Ottawa, hasn’t played much more. Indeed. The young defender, who has just signed a more lucrative contract than those of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, has recovered well from two operations on one hand. There are only 120 games left in three years, that’s very few. This is less than Jonathan Drouin (136), Sean Monahan (140) and Kirby Dach (146), who were absent often and for a long time. Another defensive prospect, Logan Mailloux (111), has played little, except that at least he has just finished a year of 80 games.

Can long absences harm their long-term development? I sought the advice of two experts. Jean Lemoyne, professor of physical activity sciences at the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières (UQTR), was less worried than me.

“Afterwards, for the specificity of the game, it goes with the complexity of what an athlete accomplishes. It may be that a sniper like Cole Caufield needs a short time to regain his rhythm and his confidence. »

André Lachance sees more challenges. Former head coach of the Canadian women’s baseball team, he is now director of human performance at Cirque du Soleil. He also advises several sports federations, here and elsewhere. Especially in Scandinavia. He was also coming back from Norway when we spoke.

First, the obvious. Practice makes better. “The more matches you have played, the more tactical situations you have seen which allow you to be better at decision-making,” he explains.

But there is more.

“When there is a return after a long break, whether after an operation or not, we see a lot of injuries. Especially in the first few weeks. The workload is greater. The intensity, too. It’s much more intense when you play in front of 20,000 people than when you do drills [exercices] or you are playing an intra-team game. »

Hence the importance, insists the author of the essay Team Chemistry, to manage the return well. “It’s not always easy, especially in professional sport. A team may need this athlete to perform well. Whereas in other environments, the American League for example, we can afford a longer recovery period. »

Another concept that is becoming more and more important in the process of returning from a long absence is trust. “It’s the word on everyone’s lips,” he says.

Does that seem esoteric to you? It is not. The loss of identity also explains why so many athletes postpone the official announcement of their retirement.

“At home, at Cirque du Soleil, an injured artist is removed from a show. During his rehabilitation period, we observe a disconnection with the environment. A loss of identity. A decline in confidence. What we started to do was ask show directors to stay in contact with the artist as much as possible. It can be virtual. The important thing, for the artist or the athlete, is that there is a connection. »

On this aspect, there is reason to believe that the Canadian has done things well in recent months. We have seen injured players remain in the club’s entourage. On the press gallery, in particular. This summer, Josh Anderson – who has already undergone a long recovery – and Nick Suzuki accompanied Xhekaj, Guhle and Slafkovsky at the Lasso festival. Suzuki played several rounds of golf with Caufield.

These are concrete gestures that promote attachment to the group, and which can make a difference in a period when trust can be shaken.

Is this enough to chase away my worries? No.

But I can’t wait to see the young people on the ice again in the coming days, to see if the invisible work done behind the scenes this summer will have allowed them to make up some of the accumulated delay.