Non-hockey related injures are a no-no young man. (Photo: Sarah Connors/flickr)

Unfortunately there is no Shanahan video to go along with it, but we do have an NHL suspension to announce. How are players suspended when there is no season you might ask? By getting hurt wakeboarding over the summer as was the case for Florida Panthers defenseman Erik Gudbranson.

“If a player can’t pass a physical as a result of a non-hockey related injury then the club has the right to suspend the player. The suspension ends once he’s able to pass the physical and is set to play. He hasn’t been cleared for contact and probably won’t be for approximately another month.”

It was originally announced that Gudbranson was injured during training therefore allowing him to still be paid as well as rehab with team trainers while the lockout was going on. This week, as he returned to the ice with his fellow locked out teammates, the truth came out that the injury was non-hockey related. I’m honestly not sure why it finally came out now but the good news is the Panthers knew the truth all along. Well, good news in the sense that he didn’t lose trust with team management. Bad news is he probably hasn’t been paid like everyone else.

Gudbranson had been staying with veteran defenseman Ed Jovanovski while rehabbing in Florida who has seen plenty during his time in the league:

“It was a tough position for him. I told him stuff happens. He was definitely [remorseful]. It could’ve been playing or scrimmaging with your buddies. You take it as a learning experience. He’s still young and has got 20 years left in this league to figure it out.”

At least he was having fun when the injury happened. I don’t think fans can expect players to stop living their lives just because of their job. The rest of us don’t. Plus you never know when you’ll get injured eating pancakes.