Brandon Dubinsky personal issue potentially career threatening
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Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky has left the NHL team to address a potentially "career-threatening" personal matter, according to a report out of Columbus.
A team spokesperson said Dubinsky, who was expected to return to the lineup this week, practised Monday but missed Tuesday's workout because of a "maintenance day." The team later said the 31-year-old wouldn't travel to Arizona for Thursday's game against the Coyotes due to a scheduled doctor's visit.
Dubinsky has missed 17 games since suffering a broken orbital bone during a fight with Edmonton's Zack Kassian on Dec. 12, and there conflicting reports as to whether Dubinsky's personal matter is health-related.
Always hate seeing a career potentially end short. Hopefully Dubinsky can get it all sorted out.
Center Brandon Dubinsky is not in trouble with the Blue Jackets and was not sent home by the team from Las Vegas for disciplinary reasons, Dubinsky’s agent, Kurt Overhardt, told The Dispatch on Wednesday.
Overhardt said the decision for Dubinsky to leave during the Jackets’ two-game trip to Vegas and Arizona was made mutually because of “medical issues” and that he’ll be with the team when it returns from the All-Star break.
Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said he couldn’t comment about Dubinsky’s departure. Team spokesman Todd Sharrock said it was not a disciplinary action and that Dubinsy’s return to Columbus was solely medically related.
Overhardt would not elaborate on Dubinsky’s medical issues.
The Athletic website reported late Tuesday night that Dubinsky was sent back to Columbus due to “ongoing personal issues” that “could threaten his career.”
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Overhardt said the report was “completely misplaced.”
“I’m really disappointed,” Overhardt told The Dispatch. “No. 1, the club and my client and I had a call (Tuesday) and we just decided because the break’s coming up, and because the team only had the game in Arizona before a couple-day break and he’s still on [injured reserve], we just said, ‘You know what? Let’s get this evaluated by a medical doctor. Let’s put him on a plane.’
“There’s no disciplinary action, so that’s completely wrong,” Overhardt continued. “The player is not in trouble with the club. He just was put on a plane to go get some medical advice. With these injuries he’s had between getting his hand and his wrist fixed last summer, and then obviously what happened a month and a half, two months ago with the fight, there’s residual issues from that.
“He just needed to get some of that checked out. And we just figured because he’s on IR and not in the lineup yet it just might be smart to do it. It’s as simple as that. ...You guys will see him next week whenever (the Jackets) report back (from the All-Star break).”
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