It turns out that defenseman Matt Corrente was not a healthy scratch for this morning's scrimmage after all.
Corrente told me that he has "a little shoulder strain" and was held out this morning as a precaution, but plans to take part in the power-skating session with the defenseman this afternoon.
Corrente believes he injured his left shoulder during his fight Tuesday with Ashton Bernard during some morning drills at the Devils' rookie camp, but didn't feel anything until today.
"I woke up this morning and it was a little sore, so they just wanted to play it safe and make sure it's OK before I go back out there," Corrente said.
Corrente hopes to be allowed to take part on the next camp scrimmage on Thursday.
***
I won't be able to stick around for the afternoon drills today because I have some other stuff to work on and I'll be awaiting the release of the NHL regular season schedule at 3 p.m.
I'll post some more from today's scrimmage, including comments from Harry Young and Nathan Perkovich on their fight, and some more video when I get home.
That's great, a top prospect fighting with a 7th round pick and gets injured.
Posted by: Brendan | July 15, 2009 at 12:23 PM
better to be safe then sorry
Posted by: pando20rules | July 15, 2009 at 12:29 PM
corrente fighting in these scrimmages is just stupid. he's gotta pick his spots better.
Posted by: HF | July 15, 2009 at 12:31 PM
your right pando20rules. Plus i dint know they allowed fighting seems a little crazy for a camp anyone agree?
Posted by: Par9 | July 15, 2009 at 12:33 PM
Par9-I would agree with you to a certain point. You do want your players to show intensity and to take camp seriously, but I think allowing a full fight doesn't do the Devils organization any good. Now Corrente is probably not seriously hurt but it is just too risky to allow something like this to happen.
Posted by: Tom | July 15, 2009 at 12:40 PM
How do you fight during drills?
Posted by: Jason | July 15, 2009 at 12:45 PM
Easy..you drop the gloves..
Posted by: Lucifer's Truth | July 15, 2009 at 12:47 PM
here comes the Injury prone label on corrente...
Posted by: NJromano | July 15, 2009 at 12:50 PM
Well, Jason, if someone cross checks you in the back, or elbows you in the face, even during a drill, you might get a little angry and want to fight that guy.
I am a little surprised that we've had two fights so far in this camp, not from the players but because coaching staffs usually want these guys to save it when a real roster spot is up for grabs in the NHL or AHL. Even then I've heard coaches tell players in training camp scrimmages to save it for the preseason games and not get crazy in the intrasquad games.
Posted by: Neil S | July 15, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Not that I think he's injury prone, but there is at least a mild history:
2007-08: Corrente had about as good as season as could have been expected with all the games he missed this season for the Niagara Ice Dogs. To start, he missed the first few games of the season as he was still in New Jersey after a second straight strong showing in training camp and NHL pre-season games. Upon his return, he missed time with a ligament injury in his wrist, and then re-injured his wrist in a fight that consequently saw him suspended for 8 games. And lastly, Corrente broke his thumb in mid-January and missed the rest of the regular season. As a result of all those separate incidents, Corrente was only able to suit up in 21 regular season games. He was fully healthy though for the Ice Dogs in the post-season, suiting up in all 10 games the team played, before seeing his team get knocked out in the second round of the OHL playoffs.
(Hockeysfuture.com)
Posted by: Josh | July 15, 2009 at 12:59 PM
you guys need to get a grip. this is hockey and all of these kids are playing for their careers. of course they're going to drop the gloves during drills. doesn't matter if you're a top prospect like Corrente or some unknown you have to show what you're made of during these camps..anyone who has played organized hockey can vouch.
Posted by: mikee | July 15, 2009 at 01:00 PM
Pretty much, mikee, pretty much.
Posted by: Neil S | July 15, 2009 at 01:02 PM
So Mikee, if Corrente or Josefson broke his wrist during a fight in development camp and that injury then totally sidetracked his career potential that would be ok with you?
You can play/drill with as much intensity as you want but from a business perspective having your prospects punching each other in a development camp probably isn't the smartest thing in the world.
Posted by: Tom | July 15, 2009 at 01:21 PM
When you play a contact sport you have to have a high intensity level or you risk injury so I can see the tempers flaring when the competitive juices are flowing but I agree it's kinda stupid to drop the gloves. The refs shouldn't allow it and should break it up immediately if guys lose their cool.
Posted by: JJ | July 15, 2009 at 01:25 PM
I get crushing guys into the boards...but throwing down. Last thing we need is a guy getting hurt.
Posted by: Zorin | July 15, 2009 at 01:36 PM
is Mr. Corrente fragile? hope not.
Posted by: modnarm | July 15, 2009 at 01:43 PM
I cannot wait for the schedule to be released, is it 3PM yet?
Posted by: Scratch | July 15, 2009 at 01:58 PM
They need to hire the one-armed man from Arrested Development...
/fake arm gets ripped off
"And that's why... you don't fight in rookie camp."
Posted by: Shanahanigans | July 15, 2009 at 01:58 PM
If he cant a rookie without hurting himself, he aint placing hits on real players... He should have never opened his mouth about it. Or just said he hurt it lifting weights or something.
Basically, I think he should have just lied
Posted by: RickyM2 | July 15, 2009 at 02:07 PM
alright tom then we should probably just keep him off the ice all together being that he can hit a rut in the ice and tear his groin at any moment. he's trying to get into the NHL and if he's not tough enough to get through prospect camp then he has no place with the big boys. i think some of you guys tend to forget this is a physical sport thats played with a high level of not only intensity but passion, and players always fight during these type of things
Posted by: mikee | July 15, 2009 at 02:09 PM
When you're Georges Laraque, you can tell guys to go find someone else to bother. When you're at a prospect camp and you're a known tough guy and you get into it, you don't really have that option. That's just how hockey is. Corrente's not in a place where he's not going to fight because it's "only" a prospect camp. Josefson or Bergfors could easily tear a knee out there in something as simple as a drill. So why hold it at all? The guy has a "mild shoulder strain" so in short, he pulled a muscle. Not exactly a season ending injury or the sort of thing that Janssen had.
Posted by: Neil S | July 15, 2009 at 02:15 PM
A huge reason why Corrente will not be in the NHL this year is he needs to grow up and get more disciplined. The Devils have enforcers. Some fighting is fine but he was drafted to be a solid top 4 defenseman with some offensive skills. He can not spend as much time in the penalty box as he does. He needs to focus, get his head on straight and work on his game.
Posted by: steve | July 15, 2009 at 02:18 PM
Steve, we have enforcers? Where are they? Are we counting each of PL3's fingers as enforcers? If we are, he's got an army. haha, JK.
Posted by: Zorin | July 15, 2009 at 02:20 PM
well said Steve...
Posted by: HF | July 15, 2009 at 02:22 PM
Mikee-You are missing the point. It's not about protecting the players from the normal hits and action of the game. You can't -and shouldn't- do that. It's not about toughness either.
It's about removing the potential injuries that a fight can cause from a training camp. It's an issue the organization has to deal with. If I am GM of a team I don't want a top prospect getting injured because our 7th round pick took umbridge or offense to a hit. It's bad business plain and simple. The Ref's/coaches should have broken them up immediately.
Posted by: Tom | July 15, 2009 at 02:24 PM