Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong, after a stay in hospital at UBC undergoing surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff (
first reported in TCN) is undergoing what promises to be a lengthy rehab of his non-throwing left shoulder.
"It was a more severe injury than anticipated," he told me today, "and I was not able to travel to the camp that began just after I came out of hospital. But I have begun three times a week rehab now, and I'm sure that I will be ready for the Paralympics next March.
"Though my return to the ice will be delayed, we have an excellent team, as technically good as any I have seen. And over the past season or two their knowledge and understanding of the game has grown. It's easier to throw well when you not only know how to throw, but also why you are being asked to play a particular shot.
"There were some interesting developments at the last Worlds, especially with players getting really low to play up-weight shots. But although some, especially the Koreans, can throw big weight, we have some time before we have to deal with teams throwing multiple 8 second takeouts accurately enough to pose a threat."
Team Canada's third training camp will be in BC at the end of September, and they leave for a ten day trip to Norway and Scotland on October 13.
Other events on the competition schedule are the Richmond Invitational November 3-7 in BC and the Cathy Kerr in Ontario, November 26-29.