Sports: Healthy Muir eager for season

Healthy Muir eager for season

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO

BRANDON -- Bryan Muir said he knew something was seriously wrong with his left ankle last season. Not only was there constant pain, the joint did not move freely.

When the Lightning defenseman had surgery on May 1, he found out why: There were two bone spurs, two bone chips and scar tissue left over from a November surgery that kept him out of the lineup for 18 games.

Muir said Friday he probably shouldn't have been playing, and it showed. Not on his face -- Muir said he kept the severity of the injury to himself even though it sidelined him for another 11 games in March -- but in his play.

Muir played 30 games for Tampa Bay after being acquired from the Blackhawks. He had one goal and one assist and was minus-9.

"They say you play in pain in this game," Muir said. "I definitely played in pain."

Muir said he compensated so much, it affected the way he walked. As part of his therapy, he said he learned to walk correctly.

Muir said he has been champing at the bit for training camp to begin. Practices start at 10 a.m. today at the Ice Sports Forum.

"It was a tough year," he said. "It's exciting to be back and get a fresh look. Hopefully, I can help this team and do what I was traded for."

INJURIES PILING UP: Defenseman Sergey Gusev had what head medical trainer Dave Boyer called "exploratory" arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, the same one that had reconstructive surgery in January. Boyer said Gusev should skate Tuesday.

Defenseman Andrei Zyuzin and center Steve Martins are day-to-day.

Boyer said wing Jaroslav Svejkovsky, who had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Monday, has begun therapy and should be out three to six weeks. He also said, "His recovery should be good."

JUMP RIGHT IN: Coach Steve Ludzik said Tampa Bay will open camp with 61 players and five days of intrasquad games. Why the fast start? "Everybody looks good skating around cones," he said.

MAKING AN IMPRESSION: Three invitees to rookie camp in Hull, Quebec, played well enough to get invitations to Brandon: wings Michael Kiesman and Maxim Potapov and center Benoit Dusablon.

"I don't think there was one guy who didn't play well up there, but those guys deserved to come back and get a look," Ludzik said.

THE HAY DIET: How did left wing Dwayne Hay lower his body fat to an absurd 3.9 percent? By going to the gym seven days a week and cutting starches, like bread and pasta, from his diet.

"If you eat the right things, you're going to get better results than if you just work hard," he said.

Hay said his favorite meals are steak and tuna. He said the cravings for starches were gone after about three weeks.

"I'm never going to eat pasta again," he said. "And I can't even look at deep-fried stuff."

TICKETS REMAINING: About 2,000 tickets remain for the season-opener Oct. 6 against the Islanders, mostly in the lower level of the Ice Palace. Ticket prices are $8-$65. For information, call (813) 301-6600.