Official website of the Manitoba Moose (AHL)

Thursday February 7 2008

Shannon's return gives life to Moose
After missing 34 games, dynamic centreman sparks anemic offence

By Tim Campbell

ROCKFORD, Ill. -- Other than injury reports, Manitoba Moose fans have had very limited exposure to forward Ryan Shannon.

Something you need to know about the 24-year-old native of Darien, Conn., came out of the mouth of Moose coach Scott Arniel on Wednesday when he was asked to comment on Shannon's return to the lineup and his presence on the ice for all four Manitoba goals in Tuesday's 4-1 win at Peoria.

"It's like when (Mike Keane) is out of our lineup and then you get him back again," Arniel said. "His experience and his having been through a lot of situations is what helps you."

Moose fans are well-versed in what Keane has done -- three Stanley Cups among it -- and still does.

Shannon, also a cup winner with last year's Anaheim Ducks, brought visible energy and enthusiasm as he skated, quickly as always, on a line with Brad Moran and Jannik Hansen.

"That was kind of the offence we hoped he'd inject into the lineup," Arniel said. "He's a guy that's extremely skilled. When he has the puck he pushes people back and he makes great plays.

"Look at the play he made on Jimmy Sharrow's goal. He's up top, juking and jiving and spinning and went almost all the way around the rink to get it low and make the play. He brings that skill level, brings it up a lot and he injected a little bit of life into us."

The coach was positively glowing when he was asked to talk about Shannon, who has missed 34 games this season because of a knee injury.

"He's done that stuff at the NHL level, he won a Stanley Cup last year," Arniel said. "He's a guy with experience, not very old but he's got an awful lot of experience in the last couple of years."

Shannon has had a lot of time to ponder his return to action since being hurt Oct. 26 against Rockford. He had a three-game attempt in December that only led to another month off.

"Last night I was really nervous and hesitant going into the first couple of shifts," Shannon admitted. "I felt like once I hit the ice, I felt like I had to do everything at 110 per cent. After maybe 10 minutes, I kind of calmed down and things slowed down a little bit.

"I kind of got into my groove. I was happy with the way things started. The team won, which is great, and I think it's a good start to the road trip."

A third-period shift that contributed to Sharrow's power-play goal also stood out in his mind, and in a way that ought to excite his teammates, too.

"I felt really good that shift," he said. "I was able to anticipate where the puck was going before it got there and it felt like I knew where the play was going to go. Once that happens, you can take advantage and play the game with intention as opposed to just reading and reacting."

The more than three months Shannon has spent rehabilitating his knee ligaments have put him in a unique position to offer advice to any teammate or competitor in a long-term injury situation.

"I would say don't have any expectations about the progress of the injury because if you set a date or an expectation of how it's going to feel day after day after day, if something doesn't go right, it's going to wear on you," he said.

"I'd say wake up every day with a positive attitude but a realistic one. Read your injury. Don't say, 'I've been hurt for two weeks, it should feel like this so I'm going to force it to feel like this.' I would say be patient and be 100 per cent before you go."

NOTES: Gwinnett (ECHL) defenceman Jim Jackson, 27, has been signed to a tryout to be the team's sixth defenceman during this personnel crisis... Because he played so much on Tuesday, defenceman Max Fortunus was given Wednesday off.

* Oct. 12: Surprisingly (almost certainly because he has a two-way contract), the speedy Stanley Cup winner with the Ducks is demoted by the Canucks to the Moose.

* Oct. 26: In his eighth game as a Moose, takes a brutal knee-on-knee check by a Rockford player. Prognosis -- he'll be out weeks.

* Dec. 21: After almost two months and missing 18 games, he returns to the lineup.

* Jan. 2: After consultation and examination in Vancouver, it's determined Shannon's knee needs another month of healing.

* Feb. 5: After 16 more games missed he returns with a flourish, recording one assist, a plus-two and is on the ice for all four Manitoba goals in a 4-1 win at Peoria.