When Neal Prokop came to the Tri-City Americans, his hockey career was on life support.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound winger from Winnipeg, Manitoba, had played 21/2 years in Moose Jaw and part of a season in Regina before an offseason trade with the Pats brought him to the Americans.
In 179 game before he joined the Americans, Prokop had scored 18 goals and had 30 assists. In 67 games this season, he had 22 goals and 23 assists in helping Tri-City win the U.S. Division and Western Conference titles.
It's fair to say the Americans needed Prokop as much as he needed them.
"It's a great place to play," Prokop said of Tri-City. "I feel comfortable there. I think that's why I had such a good year."
The Americans will have to march forward in the playoffs without Prokop, who broke the femur in his left leg a week ago in Game 3 against Chilliwack at Prospera Centre.
Prokop, who still is at Chilliwack General Hospital, faces months of rehabilitation and the possibility of never playing hockey again.
"I appreciate the time I had in Tri," Prokop said from his fourth-floor hospital room Monday morning. "I appreciate Bob (Tory, general manager) and (coach) Jim (Hiller) giving me a chance. It sucks it ends this way. I hope the team does well the rest of the way."
Prokop's injury still is a bit of a mystery. There was no contact with another player, just a freak accident that happened a minute into the game.
"I haven't seen the video, but I think I lost an edge," Prokop said. "I was taking away an option for a defender. When I had him turned, I was too close to the boards and I couldn't get my skates turned around and I went down.
"I heard it pop. I knew right away it was serious. I was on my back and my leg was numb."
Medical personnel attended to Prokop on the ice, then he was transported to CGH. X-rays confirmed the break and he was scheduled for surgery the following morning (March 24).
But emergency surgeries that day pushed his surgery to Thursday. He finally had surgery Thursday night, nearly 48 hours after the accident.
"The surgery was supposed to be 21/2 hours, but it ended up being 4," Prokop said. "The doctor said he had a hard time getting the (titanium) rod into my bone. He said I had a really hard bone. He showed me the scratches on his hand."
Prokop said he isn't sure how long the rod in his leg is, but by the incision, he estimates about 10 inches.
Americans athletic therapist Brian Cheeseman got a look at the X-rays and said the break was a transverse fracture in the upper third of the femur toward the hip.
A transverse fracture is a break across the bone, at a right angle to the long axis of the bone.
"It's a pretty significant break," Cheeseman said. "Fortunately, he didn't go into shock."
Prokop has had the company of teammate Jarrett Toll's parents, Greg and Cherilynn, and grandparents Dorne and Lorraine Cornish, who are from nearby Maple Ridge. His teammates stopped by Sunday before their game with Chilliwack, and his mom Nancy has been by his side.
But he's ready to ditch the hospital gown.
"I just want to get out of here and get some movement back," Prokop said. "I still have pain and I'm waiting for the swelling to go down."
Prokop likely will be at CGH until the end of the week. He then will go home to Winnipeg.
"I need to be home with family and get started on rehab," he said. "I have classes lined up at U of M (University of Manitoba) this summer. I want to go into physiotherapy or some sort of athletic therapy."
He'll get some hands-on experience this summer with his own rehabilitation.
