Ferland deemed “unfit to play”, more concerns over his NHL future

Earlier today the Vancouver Canucks announced that forward Micheal Ferland has been deemed “unfit to play” and will not join the team for the opening of its training camp today.

Check it out:

Group 1 update: Micheal Ferland is unfit to play today.

That’s obviously a huge concern for a player who has battled concussions and post concussion symptoms for over a calendar year now. The 28 year old forward was able to play just 14 games for the Canucks this season after suffering setback after setback in his attempt to recover from a concussion suffered last season during his time with the Carolina Hurricanes.

There’s also concern that Ferland may have COVID-19 as several teams have used the “deemed unfit to play” today leading many to believe that it’s actually a covert term for players who have contracted the virus. While we won’t speculate on that it’s clear that Canucks general manager Jim Benning isn’t concerned with Ferland’s future.

Check it out:

No reason for alarm about Ferland not practicing today, said GM Jim Benning, who is on a call with  #Canucks media.

That's somewhat comforting, but to be honest I won't buy anything with regards to Ferland's health until I see him on the ice with my own eyes. The guy has had so many stops and starts over the past calendar year that I'll reserve any reaction for when he hits the ice. Having said that, let's hope that he hasn't suffered yet another setback in his recovery from concussion and post-concussion syndrome. At just 28 years old the guy has suffered through half a dozen or so head injuries and really seemed to have a difficult time recovering from his latest setback.

His situation is similar to the one facing Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford who was also deemed "unfit to play." It's not known whether the 35 year old netminder is in fact dealing with a case of COVID-19 or if he's still recovering from his own post-concussion issues. In Crawford's case though he has had a full NHL career and no one would blame him if he were to walk away at this point. As for Ferland, you just get the sense that the guy won't quit until the doctors force him.