Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner to miss several months after surgery

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Blue Jackets won't have their captain for most of the season.

Boone Jenner, injured a week ago in practice , underwent shoulder surgery Wednesday and could miss up to six months. The Blue Jackets open the season Thursday against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center, as Jenner prepares to go through a long rehab process. The team didn't specify what the surgery repaired. If it was a labrum repair, which the Blue Jackets have dealt with multiple times the past few years, the recovery time is usually five-to-six months.

"It's disappointing," Blue Jackets president of hockey operations/general manager Don Waddell said. "We’re all disappointed. We’re more disappointed for Boone. The team will continue to rally together. We’ve been thrown a few curveballs but we’ll continue to rally. It’s gonna give opportunity for other players. You like to find out what you have, not this way, but it is what it is. We give some of the young guys more opportunity and hopefully they can respond with it."

The early end of a five-to-six month recovery puts the early end of it sometime in early March, right around when the Blue Jackets host the Detroit Red Wings for an NHL stadium series matchup March 1 at Ohio Stadium. Jenner, who is featured heavily in promotional ads, has eagerly awaited a chance to play in the franchise's first outdoor game. He still has a chance to do it, which makes that day Jenner's official return target.

"If you talk to Boone, yes," Waddell said, smiling. "Obviously, we've gotta be smart about it, too, because the player’s gonna play for multiple years ahead. So, we've gotta make sure we make smart decisions about it. Every individual is different. Five months puts you right at the beginning of March. We'll just see how it all plays out here in the next few months."

Should a full recovery take six months or more, Jenner's return could stretch into April or cost him the whole season. That, however, wouldn't be a smart bet to accept. Jenner's relentless work ethic is well known around Nationwide Arena, and there's no doubt he's do everything possible to return this season. Should that take until April, the Jackets have 10 games that month, including the season finale April 17 against the New York Islanders at Nationwide Arena.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Peter Millett at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado, the same doctor and clinic who performed labrum repairs on former Blue Jackets forwards Josh Andserson and Max Domi.

Jenner sustained the injury last Friday near the end of a practice at The Ice Haus rink at Nationwide Arena. Chasing after a loose puck during a 2-on-2 "small area" drill intended to improve hand-eye skills, Jenner somehow lost an edge and crashed hard into the boards. He got up on his own and skated off, but left for a medical evaluation. Just 14 hours earlier, forward Dmitry Voronkov sustained an apparent shoulder injury 15 seconds into his first shift of a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Waddell said Voronkov won't require surgery and could be back in late November after undergoing a rehab program that's already showing progress. In the meantime, the Blue Jackets are reeling from another stunning double whammy of injuries going into their season-opener. They're also still grieving the shocking offseason deaths of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, Aug. 29 in New Jersey.

"We all know injuries have been a part of the game," Waddell said. "The timing never seems to be good, and when you lose two of your too nine (forwards) that quickly, you have to adjust. Again, nobody's going to feel sorry for us and we're not going to feel sorry for ourselves. We've still got to go out and play hockey."

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner to miss several months after surgery