VOORHEES, N.J. -- Claude Giroux is fine and there’s no need to worry about whether he was injured in World Cup of Hockey exhibition play.
That’s the take from Flyers general manager Ron Hextall on Tuesday after news that his star center missed a Team Canada practice on Monday with lingering effects of a hit he took from Team USA’s Joe Pavelski last Friday during an exhibition game.
“We know what’s going on, we’ve been in communication and he’s fine,” Hextall said. “They’ve been great being in touch with us.
“There’s a difference between, well, he’s not injured. Throughout the year, you get a bump or bruise and that’s the case there.”
Giroux took a maintenance day with Team Canada.
The Flyers have seven players competing in the tournament. The exhibition stage ends on Wednesday while actual tournament games start this weekend in Toronto.
“There’s good things about it [tournament] and I guess that’s the one negative,” Hextall said when asked about the risks of losing a top player in an international event before the start of the NHL schedule.
With one-third of their roster competing, the Flyers have plenty at stake in terms of potential player loss, yet Hextall said, “you owe it to the league” to allow players to compete in international events such as the World Cup of Hockey and the Olympics.
“That’s an obligation that they have and it’s for the good of the game,” Hextall said. “If someone is not 100 percent, that’s a different story. Gudy (Radko Gudas) was a different story -- if a guy is legitimately injured.”
Gudas, the Flyers' veteran defenseman, suffered a right wrist injury in offseason training and pulled out of competing for the Czech Republic. He still can’t shoot pucks, but is practicing here at Skate Zone with teammates and expects to be fully healthy by the time the season arrives in October.
Gordon suffers cut
Boyd Gordon, one of the Flyers’ free agent acquisitions this summer, needed stitches to close a facial gash suffered during a morning scrimmage with teammates.
Gordon was cut during a puck scramble along the side boards.
“Welcome to Philly,” Hextall smiled. “He plays hard. He blocks shots. He does everything you want a guy to do.”
Loose pucks
Rookie camp opens Monday on ice. Players report this weekend with physicals Sunday through Monday morning … Defenseman Ivan Provorov and forward Travis Konecny, two of the most anticipated prospects to attend camp, won’t arrive until Sunday … With the exception of the World Cup participants, all the remaining Flyers are here already. Full camp opens on Sept. 23. “It’s a good sign,” Hextall said. “Everybody realizes how competitive [training camp] is going to be this year."
