Chicago Center Roenick Wears Cast, Complains About Thumb

Eighteen hours after he complained about being benched by Chicago Blackhawk Coach Mike Keenan in Pittsburgh, center Jeremy Roenick showed up in Chicago with a cast on his right arm extending from the thumb to the elbow.

Neither Keenan nor Roenick would reveal the exact nature of the injury. Keenan said that he expected Roenick to play in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals tonight.

“We’ll re-evaluate the situation--probably take the cast off and freeze him so he’ll be able to play,” Keenan said. “A doctor examined him this morning, and they feared that he had a broken thumb. He’s got tenderness right now.”

Roenick failed to get a shot on goal in Thursday night’s 3-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 2 and was benched for much of the second and third periods. Keenan said he had replaced Roenick and Steve Larmer with Stu Grimson and Mike Peluso to get more size and muscle against the Pittsburgh defense.

Roenick said he thought Keenan had been unfair. There was no sign that Roenick was in pain. He had no bandages on his right hand, and he never mentioned an injury. But Friday, Roenick said he was hurt, and that the injury affected his play.