[cbuscru77]

Blue Jackets top goaltending prospect Steve Mason will undergo arthroscopic surgery today to repair a minor tear in a knee.

The injury could cause the 19-year-old to miss four to six weeks, said Jackets assistant general manager Chris MacFarland, and prevent him from playing May 16-25 in the Memorial Cup, the top tournament in junior hockey.
MacFarland said the magnetic resonance imaging revealed no ligament damage.
Mason led Team Canada to a world junior championship this season and was named the tournament's most valuable player. He also has a 32-7-3 record with a 2.51 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in the Ontario Hockey League.
Mason, a member of the Kitchener Rangers, suffered the injury several weeks ago and has tried to play through the pain. He is 5-0 in the OHL playoffs with a .946 save percentage.

[blueandwhite]

it's a bummer bout missing the Memorial Cup but best to get it done now, eh?
he was great at the world junior championship. Hope this surgery is the end of the pain.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by blueandwhite

it's a bummer bout missing the Memorial Cup but best to get it done now, eh?
he was great at the world junior championship. Hope this surgery is the end of the pain.

Minor league prospects should shut down and not try to play through a lot of pain and stuff...plenty of that at the next level to do...I think a minor club has a responsibility to keep them health...so I am glad they are not letting him go to the World Juniors.

[cbuscru77]

Originally Posted by Gotham Dark Knight

Minor league prospects should shut down and not try to play through a lot of pain and stuff...plenty of that at the next level to do...I think a minor club has a responsibility to keep them health...so I am glad they are not letting him go to the World Juniors.

I agree. The plan is to have Mason in Syracuse next year to give him at least 1 full year in the AHL then it's off to the big club to back up Passy in '09-'10 season. So that means we'll have to suffer through another year with Norena! He's not bad statistically but he doesn't make the save when you need him to make the save, you know?