From: jca2@cec1.wustl.edu (Joseph Charles Achkar)
Subject: BLUES News: Lee Norwood out for the season.
Keywords: Blues, Norwood.
Organization: Washington University, St. Louis MO
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 09:36:00 GMT

    
  A freak accident with a motorcycle has ended the season and perhaps the
career of Blues veteran defenseman Lee Norwood. He underwent surgery Friday
evening to repair a fracture and dislocation of his left ankle. The Blues
orthopedic surgeon described the injury as "catastrophic". Gilden performed
the surgery, using a plate and eight screws to repair the ankle. The operation
took two hours.

Ironically, Norwood dropped assistant coach Wayne Thomas with a slap shot
during morning practice. Thomas was standing in front of the net when the 
shot hit him in the shin. Thomas was taken to a hospital. X-rays showed no
fracture, and Thomas was back in the Blues' offices later in the day.

Gilden said Norwood told him the motorcycle fell on him while he was 
"wheeling it out of the garage". "It got out of his hands and fell over him",
Gilden said. The Harley-Davidson Motorcycle weighs 650 pounds. 

Gilden estimated Norwood's recuperation time as six months ``at the earliest."
He stopped short of calling the injury career-threatening, but Norwood's age
-- 33 on Feb. 2 -- and his contract status -- a one-year deal -- might work
against him.

The loss of Norwood is devastating for the Blues, who have been plagued by
injuries all season. All-star defenseman Jeff Brown recently was sidelined 
for four weeks with a broken bone on the inside of his left foot.

The Blues already have lost 337 man games to injury, almost as many as in the
the last two years combined. They haven't lost this many man games to injury
since the 1986-87 season, when they lost 361.

The timing couldn't have been worse for Norwood, who recently solidified a
regular job on the Blues' defense and had played the last 12 games, his 
longest stint since early last season. He had three goals and seven assists 
for 10 points in 32 games.

``It's tough; especially with Brown out, it really hurts," coach Bob Berry
said. ``He's been solid for us, played a lot of hockey. I know how hard Lee 
has worked to get himself back in the lineup and redeem himself in the eyes 
of a lot of people.

Defenseman Murray Baron, who has played only two of the last nine games,
will replace Norwood in the lineup for tonight's game against the Detroit 
Red Wings at The Arena.

Quinn said he would talk to Peoria coach Rick Meagher about bringing up a
defenseman on an emergency basis, then would confer with general manager Ron
Caron about acquiring a long-term replacement.

Goalie Geoff Sarjeant was recalled from Peoria on an emergency basis to
replace Guy Hebert, who suffered a pulled groin in the Blues' 5-3 loss
Thursday in Detroit.

Norwood and Hebert are the 16th and 17th players to go on the Blues'
injured list this season. The others: Shanahan, Brown, Ron Sutter, Bret
Hedican, Dave Lowry, Bob Bassen, Curtis Joseph, Nelson Emerson, Kelly Chase,
Rick Zombo, Ron Wilson, Curt Giles, Vitali Prokhorov, Vitali Karamnov and 
Dan Laperriere.

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