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John Carlson will return from serious head injury against Chicago Blackhawks

By Chris Cerullo

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March 23, 2023 10:51 am

The Washington Capitals are expecting to get a huge piece of their lineup back against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night. The team announced that star defenseman John Carlson is ready to return from the serious head injury he suffered on December 23 against the Winnipeg Jets.

The 33-year-old Carlson has been working back from a fractured skull and severed temporal artery after taking a slap shot to the head. He’ll jump back into game action exactly three months to the day he originally left it.

The team first teased the news on their social media accounts and then confirmed his return via a PR tweet.

Carlson’s return has been coming as the veteran blueliner practiced in a full-contact jersey earlier this week. He also spoke with the media for the first time since his injury a couple of days before that.

“I feel really good,” Carlson said then. “Rejuvenated. Haven’t had this much time off over the winter in my life probably. Try to take care of myself, get better. Do things that I otherwise wouldn’t do. Get ready for coming back.”

Carlson will be coming back to a Caps team in a much different position than when he left it. Over his 36-game absence, the Caps have played below .500 hockey, with a record of 14-18-4 and almost assuredly will not be making the playoffs this season.

It’s an environment that Carlson says isn’t exactly the most fun to return to.

“This is a tough time of the year to come back to – what these guys have been dealing with day in and day out,” Carlson said. “Backs against the wall feelings. There’s a lot of that going on in the room right now.

“I’m trying to keep spirits high and do the only thing I can do which is get prepared,” he continued. “It’s tough emotionally to see how hard they’re battling and see how things are going. Every night seems like it’s a must-win. It’s difficult to play a long period of time like that. That’s what makes winning a championship so hard. There’s guys battling through things and trying to get in here. I’m sure any team that makes it to the Finals will tell you how banged up everyone is and how much emotional wherewithal it takes to put yourself in that position. It’s different but it’s similar to what we’re doing right now.”

In his 30 games this season, Carlson has recorded 21 points (8g, 13a). Puck drop against Chicago is at 7 pm.

Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB

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