Pronger can’t shake injury bug

The little black cloud that has been hanging over Chris Pronger’s head refuses to disappear.

Pronger, 37, underwent his fifth surgery in just over a year Tuesday when doctors repaired his wonky knee. Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren suggested the all-star defenceman will be out for four weeks, but nothing is set in stone.

“I really have no idea,” Pronger said Thursday morning. “Gauging by the knee I had operated on a couple of years ago, a month sounds about right, but then again it might be three weeks and it might be six weeks. We just gave a ballpark number because we don’t really know.”

Pronger has been out since Nov. 19 with what is being called a virus.

“I just didn’t feel well,” Pronger said. “We said it was a virus, but I don’t know what it is. I never felt like that before where I had headaches and nausea. I had a concussion test; did the baseline test, and passed that. I’ve just never felt like this where you feel lightheaded, you get headaches and you get nauseous. It’s been a bit of a mystery as to what is actually going on. I did some blood work and we’re trying to get to the bottom of it.”

Earlier this year Pronger missed time after he was struck in the eye by the stick of Toronto’s Mikhail Grabovski following through on a shot. In the past two years he has also undergone surgery on his back, hand and a foot.

Through it all, Pronger said he has not contemplated retiring.

“You have to look at the injuries in their totality,” he said. “I got hit with a puck and I broke my foot. I got hit with a puck and I broke my hand. I got slashed in the face and I hurt my eye. I hurt my knee against Boston in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The only one that is perplexing was my back injury. I don’t really know what happened there and probably never will.

“You look at the number of injuries I’ve had and to me they were kind of fluky. Three of them I got hit with the puck or a stick. Are those everyday occurrences? Yes; they can happen to anybody. When you play the game hard and you play a lot of minutes like I do, you’re that much more inclined to have something happen to you because you’re always out there. I’ve had a lot of surgeries and it takes a toll on your body, but you have to continue to follow rehab protocol and try to make sure you are doing the best you can to take care of your body and take care of your mind at the same time.”

Pronger said he is still feeling the effects of the virus.

“We’re still trying to ascertain what is going on,” he said. I’ve never felt like this before.”

He added his knee problem has been an on-going issue for a while.

“My knee had gradually gotten worse since I came back from the eye injury,” he said. “When I stopped skating and tried to work out, it started to bother me. I do my daily workouts and I try to do legs every other day. It got to the point where I couldn’t do leg workouts and I knew something was wrong. We got an MRI done and got on it quickly to get it fixed.”

Pronger said he could have continued playing, but felt now was the time to address his knee issue rather than let it get worse.

“If it was the playoffs or Stanly Cup final, I could play,” he said. “But it was at the point where I wouldn’t be able to play very well. We always say we can play, but at what level and to what detriment? At this stage of the season it was prudent to get it done now.”

Pronger said he will keep forging ahead and won’t let the constant injuries get him down.

“I was pretty pleased with how my summer went and the fact I got into a pre-season game,” Pronger said. “I felt I got off to a strong start this season. Then you have a fluke injury where you get slashed in the face with a stick and now it’s the knee. It is a little disheartening. I felt like I was playing pretty well when I got hurt the first time and it sets you back. You start getting your rhythm and into a groove and your comfort level is high. This kind of sets you back. You have to go through the whole process again when you get back.”