Philadelphia Unsure Whether Primeau Will Play in Game 1

The Philadelphia Flyers acquired Keith Primeau to provide depth at center and insurance in case Eric Lindros got hurt. Now Primeau might join Lindros on the sideline.

Primeau’s status is uncertain for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Sundayagainst the New Jersey Devils.

“I’m feeling better,” Primeau said Wednesday. “It’s too early to tell. We’ll take it on a day-to-day basis.”

Primeau returned to Philadelphia on Wednesday after spending the night in a Pittsburgh hospital following a hit by the Penguins’ Bob Boughner in the first minute of a playoff game Tuesday night.

X-rays at UPMC Presbyterian University Hospital proved negative. Primeau will be reevaluated by team physicians, who will determine if he sustained a concussion.

Primeau’s injury occurred 18 seconds into his shift and 48 seconds into the game, a 2-1 Flyer victory that ended the series in six games.

Seconds after a faceoff, Boughner skated across the neutral zone from along the right wing boards and leveled Primeau, who was skating up ice with his head down.

“I wasn’t turned away from the play,” Primeau said. “I was looking up ice. It was a clean hit, but it was still a few seconds after the puck had left, so I think I kind of let my guard down and unfortunately it caught me square on the chin and I went down.”

Boughner insisted the hit on Primeau was clean, and the Flyers agreed.

“I don’t think he meant to hurt him,” Flyer interim Coach Craig Ramsay said.

Philadelphia, which lost four of five games this season to the Devils, plays host to New Jersey in Game 1 of their best-of-seven series Sunday.

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Lindros’ post-concussion syndrome is improving and the Philadelphia center could participate in full team practices as soon as two weeks, his doctor said.

Barring any problems, Lindros would be cleared to practice with his teammates May 23--the day before Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against New Jersey should the series last that long.

Dr. James Kelly, a neurologist and concussion specialist, examined Lindros on Wednesday in Chicago and said there were signs of improvement after Lindros’ latest concussion, sustained last Thursday when he collided with Francis Lessard of the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms during a practice drill. Lindros needed 20 stitches to close a cut on his lip.

Kelly said Lindros will gradually increase his workouts without skating through Monday, and report to Kelly by phone from Toronto, where he is undergoing acupuncture and other therapy.

If his recovery continues, Lindros will participate in conditioning on and off the ice. He will skate alone, on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then practice stick-handling skills with a goalie and one other player from May 18 through May 21.

Lindros will undergo further tests and be examined again on May 22.

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The hockey savvy of Cleveland’s fans is what persuaded Minnesota Wild General Manager Doug Risebrough to sign a full affiliation agreement with the Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League.

“I like the idea that it’s a big-city sports town and that our players are going to be able to compete in a city that will recognize their successes and their failures,” Risebrough said.

Risebrough said that is important because even though the Wild is an NHL expansion team (which begins play next season), fans in Minnesota are knowledgeable about the game because of their long hockey history that includes the North Stars’ stint in Minneapolis.

Risebrough and Lumberjack owner Larry Gordon, who is trying to find a local buyer for his team, signed a two-year deal. The Wild agreed to supply Cleveland with 20 players, coaches and hockey operations staff.