It didn’t take long for Ryan Jones to fit in with the Edmonton Oilers.
One period into his first home game, he got injured.
The newly acquired winger was walking around the Edmonton dressing room on Saturday, a day after Minnesota’s Derek Boogaard stuck out a knee on him.
“Those kind of things happen in the game,” said Jones, who isn’t bitter about the incident.
“I didn’t quite see it coming. I saw video afterwards and it looks bad, but nobody’s going to mean to do those kind of things. I know him from (training) in the summer. We’re not best friends, but we know each other. I talked to him this morning ... it was just one of those things, you’re reacting to somebody making a move.
“Those are the kind of things you let the league deal with.”
Boogaard, who has been suspended two games by the NHL for the hit, said he didn’t mean to do any harm.
“It wasn’t like it was intent to injure or anything like that,” he said. “I was just finishing my hit. It’s not like I’m going out to hurt guys.”
Jones doesn’t know when he might be ready to return to the lineup.
“I don’t want to speculate; we’ll let the doctors deal with that,” he said, adding it’s a terrible way to make your home debut.
“It was my first game, and that’s the last thing I wanted. It was awful. I really didn’t want to come off. I came in the room and all the tests and everything went well. Kenny (athletic therapist Lowe) saw it on the replay and wanted to check it out again. It was a precautionary thing. He didn’t want me getting hit again.
“I wanted to go out and finish it off, but there’s a lot of hockey left still this year and a lot of hockey in my career. I have to take care of myself.”
Eberle on radar
With the Regina Pats out of the playoffs and the season coming to an end, Oilers head coach Pat Quinn is hoping to get a look at Jordan Eberle before the end of the NHL schedule.
“Why not have a look at this young man?” said Quinn, adding he’s still glad they sent Eberle back to junior for another year. “In one way I’m happy we (sent him back) because it’s been a tough learning environment here.”
Khabibulin muzzled
Oilers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin has been in Edmonton for several days now, but he and the team have been refusing all media requests for interviews about his back surgery, now nearly two months old, and DUI charges in Scottsdale, Ariz.
robert. tychkowski@sunmedia.ca
