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Daymond Langkow News & Rumors

Langkow feels right at home in Phoenix
September 30
Calgary Herald
 
"It's almost like old times for Daymond Langkow and Shane Doan. Almost . . . "He's pretty much the same type of guy he always is," smiled Doan, the popular and highly personable captain of the Phoenix Coyotes following Thursday's pre-game skate at the Saddledome. "He does have a few more white hairs in his beard maybe but he's such a good player. "You see the things he can do for you . . . I think he's just such an incredible player and for us to have the opportunity to get to play with him again means a lot to me. I think he's a guy who can make a huge difference for us.""
Flames trade Langkow to Coyotes for Stempniak
August 30
The Globe and Mail
 
"Lee Stempniak went to the dentist Monday and got a real jolt – news he'd just been traded to the Calgary Flames. The former Phoenix Coyotes winger was shipped north Monday in exchange for veteran centre Daymond Langkow, who played just four games with Calgary last season because of a neck injury. According to Stempniak, the news came courtesy of a phone call from his agent – just before the shot of Novocain – and wasn't a huge surprise. "You look at the lineup in Phoenix and there weren't any centres," Stempniak told Sportsnet Radio Fan 960 in Calgary. "I didn't think I'd be the one moving on. But I'm excited to be going to Calgary. I love the city and that buzz when you're playing the"
Flames ship Langkow to Coyotes for Stempniak
August 29
Calgary Herald
 
"The Calgary Flames have traded centre Daymond Langkow to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for forward Lee Stempniak. Both players must first pass medical exams before the deal can be finalized. Langkow, 34, played in only four games last season after suffering what many believed to be a career-ending injury the previous year. He's scheduled to make $4.5 million this season while Stempniak is in the final year of a $1.9 million contract."
Langkow's dedication to game earns him trophy nom
April 27
Calgary Sun
 
"Daymond Langkow's return from a potentially career-ending neck injury has made the Flames centre a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded "to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey." The other finalists announced Tuesday are Anaheim Ducks goalie Ray Emery and forward Ian Laperriere of the Philadelphia Flyers. Langkow was out of action more than a year after being hit on the spine by a puck and suffering a fractured vertebra March 21, 2010, against the Minnesota Wild. Langkow, who was attempting to return for the 2010 training camp, was twice forced by doctors to stop working out. His third attempt was"
Langkow, Emery, Laperriere nominated for Masterton Memorial Trophy
April 27
Calgary Herald
 
"Calgary Flames centre Daymond Langkow, who came back from a broken neck and a year's recovery to play regular-season games this winter, is a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. The National Hockey League award goes annually "to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey." Also shortlisted for the award is Anaheim Ducks netminder Ray Emery, who overcame a career-threatening injury (and bone-graft surgery) to his hip. After signing as a free agent with the Ducks, Emery went 7-2-0."
Emery, Langkow, Laperriere up for Masterton
April 26
NHL.com
 
"The vast majority of accolades that will be handed out at the 2011 NHL Awards in Las Vegas on June 22 will go to players judged to be the "best" in their particular category -- the star scorer, the top goaltender, the most-celebrated rookie. One award, however, isn't about lighting up the stat sheet or piling up the wins and shutouts. The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which honors the late Minnesota North Stars player who died in 1968, is handed out annually to "the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey." It's a special award that takes an athlete with a certain set of characteristics to earn, and it's"
Langkow calls Masterton nomination 'an honour'
April 5
Calgary Herald
 
"Even-keeled to the core, Daymond Langkow is not the type of guy to let much of anything faze him. Then came the news of his nomination for the 2011 Bill Masterton Trophy as chosen by the Calgary chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. The award is presented after the end of the regular season to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. "Well, it's obviously an honour," the Calgary Flames centre said Monday afternoon. "You know I've only played two games, so it was pretty shocking. But it's an honour, nonetheless." An honour much-deserved thanks to a tireless comeback from a fractured C-3 vertebrae — or, in"
Langkow's return positive for Flames future
April 4
Calgary Sun
 
"One of the more important developments of the year for the Calgary Flames came Friday when Daymond Langkow returned to the lineup. Starting on the fourth line and progressing to the top unit in time for the team's third-period comeback in St. Louis, his successful return from a year-long neck injury gives acting GM Jay Feaster important information as the club plans for the future. Absorbing a cross-check from Blues defenceman Barret Jackman as part of his battle test, Langkow got right up and subsequently satisfied both himself and the organization he can be included in the club's plans for next season. "We needed to know as an organization," coach Brent Sutter said of Langkow's status."
Aerials skiing champ knows how special Langkow's return is
April 3
Calgary Herald
 
"Talk to Daymond Langkow about his return to the Calgary Flames from a broken neck, and you get the distinct impression this is a routine thing. Ho hum. Business as usual. Nothing to see here. Or is there? "I get it,"says world aerials skiing champion Warren Shouldice. "I told myself it wasn't a big deal." Over time, Shouldice has come to realize how a big of a deal it is to return to a sport that threatened to confine him to a wheelchair for life. Shoudice, 28, fractured the C4 and C5 vertebrae at the base of his neck as an an 18-year-old on a water ramp in Lake Placid, N.Y. As such, the Calgary native (and diehard Flames fan) knows better than most what Langkow must have felt like"
Langkow passes test
April 2
Calgary Sun
 
"Barret Jackman said earlier in the day there'd be no free pass for Daymond Langkow. He wasn't kidding. The St. Louis Blues defenceman gave the Flames centre returning from a layoff of more than a year a less than friendly welcome, smacking him toward the boards from behind in the second period and taking a cross-checking penalty in the process. People who know Langkow's story were holding their collective breath hoping he wasn't hurt — the 34-year-old was playing his first game in more than a calendar year after fracturing a vertebrae at the base of his neck last March. "That's hockey. It's gonna happen," Langkow said with a shrug after earning an assist and a plus-2 rating during 14:56 of"
Langkow jumps right in to the fray
April 2
Calgary Herald
 
"Erik Cole's triumphant return from a broken neck took place in the 2006 Stanley Cup final.Ethan Moreau had been so happy to see the Carolina Hurricanes winger back in action, so pleased that he'd overcome all odds, that he smashed Cole as soon as — and as hard as — he could. Asked what he remembers about that jarring sight, Steve Staios chuckles Friday morning. "You don't take it easy — that's the playoffs, that's the finals," says Staios, then, of course, a member of the Edmonton Oilers. "I mean, if Ethan's mom was coming back from injury, I think he'd take a run at her to win the Stanley Cup. We all probably would. And there were probably 10 hits like that per game in those games.""
Langkow has rookie jitters all over again
April 1
Calgary Herald
 
"Daymond Langkow, in typically understated fashion, was chatting about his return. Admitting to being nervous. Owning up to being excited. Post-game, he acknowledges, will bring a sweeping wave of relief. But if he was bursting with emotion, you'd have to trust him on that count. Because, as always, the man's keel is even. Despite the magnitude of his comeback. When the Calgary Flames pivot suits up today against the St. Louis Blues, it will mark his first National Hockey League appearance in 376 days. "We'll see how it goes," Langkow said in the lobby of the team hotel. "Once I get a shift or two under me, I think I'll be fine." And worried about his neck? No way. "If I was at all"
Sliver of light shed on Langkow situation
March 31
Calgary Herald
 
"The Calgary Flames issued a news release Wednesday designed to shed some light on Daymond Langkow's playing status. Sort of. "In response to the questions raised recently about the status of Daymond Langkow, please be advised that Daymond has been medically cleared to resume full-contact practice with the team," acting general manager Jay Feaster said in a statement. "Daymond travelled with the team on its recent four-game road trip and practised both with the team and skated with the coaching staff after practices and game-day skates." Langkow participates daily in full-contact drills, but Feaster said the 34-year-old needs more time to complete his recovery from fractured vertebrae at"
Langkow sits, despite medical clearance to play
March 28
Calgary Herald
 
"It's a comeback story that's still missing its final chapter. The official return. Daymond Langkow, centre of the Calgary Flames, has been sidelined since breaking vertebrae in his neck on March 21, 2010 — more than a full year ago. Now, with medical clearance, Langkow, 34, waits for game action. He practises daily. Five regular-season dates remain, the next being Wednesday's against the Anaheim Ducks. What's the holdup? Fitness? Muscle mass? Or, as is currently rumoured, salary-cap snags?"
White happy to hear Langkow nearing return
March 23
Calgary Herald
 
"It is not an anniversary Ian White — nor anyone — would want to celebrate. Monday, however, marked a full year's passing since White's slapshot beaned Calgary Flames teammate Daymond Langkow in the back of the neck. The veteran, suffering a fractured vertebrae, hasn't played since. Meaning White was awfully happy to hear the latest update — Langkow is close to returning. "Great news," White, now with the San Jose Sharks, said after Tuesday morning's practice. "It would be huge for him to come back. Even if he comes back, I still feel pretty bad about what happened. Hopefully, he's going to be the same player he was before. Hopefully, throughout his life, it doesn't have any effect on him."
White rooting for Langkow's return
March 23
Calgary Sun
 
"Ian White's eyes lit up at the news Daymond Langkow is nearing a possible return to the NHL. Many people would be happy to see Langkow back playing for the Calgary Flames, and White is among those at the top of the list. "I definitely would feel better if he starts playing," said Langkow's former Flames teammate, now a member of the San Jose Sharks, who'll host his old squad Wednesday night. When Langkow suffered his horrific neck injury just over a year ago, it was a combination of being shoved from behind, which made him fall face first toward the ice just as White fired a shot from the point. Langkow saw the puck coming right at him and tucked in his head, and White's shot hit him in"
Daymond Langkow makes an inspiring return to the rink
March 17
Calgary Herald
 
"The Daymond Langkow story is not yet ready for submission to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of inspirational books. But the Calgary Flames centre continues to defy the odds - and shock those around him - by gutting it out through a gruelling recovery from fractured vertebrae at the base of the neck. The injury threatened to end his career and potentially even leave him with permanent side-effects - similar to a concussion of the neck - away from the rink Some 360 days after paramedics carted him off the ice at Minnesota's Xcel Energy Center, Langkow practised for the first time Wednesday with his teammates at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Not 10 minutes into the session, defenceman"
Langkow cleared for workouts
February 27
Calgary Sun
 
"Soccer games aren't unusual at the Saddledome during optional practice days. Seeing Daymond Langkow taking part, however, is no longer a regular occurrence. But there he was Friday morning, kicking the ball around with a handful of his Calgary Flames teammates. Saturday morning, a stall in the locker-room sprung up with his equipment and a nameplate. They're first signs in a long while Langkow has reason to be positive about a possible return to the NHL after suffering a fractured vertebra last March. A specialist based in Carolina who deals with football neck injuries has cleared Langkow to resume light workouts and projects a possible return to his hockey career in two to three months."
Langkow comeback a longshot
December 18
Calgary Sun
 
"Darryl Sutter is resigned to the notion fans will not be privy to a Daymond Langkow comeback. "I can't see how it's even possible," said the Calgary Flames GM. "He's been shut down for more than a month now, and he's 34 years old. We're in our ninth month since it happened. I feel so bad for him, because he's got a heart like a horse." Langkow suffered a spinal injury late last season when he took a point shot off the back of his neck while falling to the ice. The spinal injury kept him inactive most of the summer until he resumed skating before camp. However, numbness in his lower body caused him to stop skating twice, including a setback in late October that had one Flames official tell"
Langkow shut down after latest setback
November 1
Calgary Sun
 
"It's looking more and more like Daymond Langkow has played his final game in the NHL. A Flames official tells the Sun it's now about "a 50-50 proposition" as to whether the 34-year-old can come back from the neck injury he sustained late last season when a slap shot on an awkward play did damage to his spinal cord. The latest setback came last week when Langkow and the team's doctors decided to shut him down after he experienced numbness below the waist during heavy exertion. "Zero progress then a step backwards," GM Darryl Sutter said of the decision to take Langkow off the ice and shut down all exercise last week. "We'll try this, and your guess is as good as mine. We're eight months"
Langkow return in doubt
September 14
Calgary Sun
 
"Calgary Flames centre Daymond is not expected to be fully cleared for training camp according to a report on the Calgary Flames Twitter account. According to Flames assistant GM Jay Feaster, who is in Penticton, B.C., for the Young Stars Tournament, Langkow's recovery hasn't been fast enough to be on the ice with the rest of the veterans when they hit the Saddledome Saturday. Medical testing will be Friday."
Flames' Langkow embarking on colossal comeback story
September 3
Calgary Herald
 
"It wasn't the most eventful 41 minutes in the history of hockey, but, for Daymond Langkow, it'll do. Langkow, for only the second time since fracturing vertebrae in his neck more than five months ago, was back on the ice. Twice this week, including Thursday afternoon, he's gone for twirls at the Westside Recreation Centre. "I feel good now," said Langkow. "I'm pretty close to 100 per cent, but I think it's going to be a couple more weeks before I can take contact. Obviously, it's been a while since I've been on skates. Definitely a little rusty out there." Despite having to skip session-ending scrimmages, Langkow is pleased to be once again swapping passes with teammates such as Jarome"
Langkow injury fears linked to controversial Jokinen deal
July 4
Calgary Herald
 
"For the life of him, Darryl Sutter can't see what all the fuss is about. The Calgary Flames needed a veteran centre, right? So he signed one. Simple. Outcry? What outcry? "Actually, (the reaction) has been really, really positive," the Flames general manager, with a straight face, said Friday morning at the Pengrowth Saddledome. Positive? From whom? "From people who are important. Next question." From the season-ticket holders? "Including them. Especially them." As the flummoxed fan-base tries to get its collective head around the return of Olli Jokinen, the underwhelming Finn, Sutter served up a couple of twisty explanations. - Hey, Jokinen couldn't excel because the Flames had no"
Move for Jokinen linked to injury fears, says Flames GM
July 3
Calgary Herald
 
"Darryl Sutter dropped a disturbing nugget of news today in his press conference to address the signing of Olli Jokinen. Centre Daymond Langkow is struggling to recover from a season-ending neck injury suffered in the spring. His status for next season is unknown. "It's still an issue," said the Calgary Flames general manager. "We're 100 days post-injury. We thought he would be further along that he is, and he's still not. "We're still 100 days away (from the start of the season), but it is a concern." Back on March 21, medics wheeled Langkow off the ice in Minnesota via stretcher after taking an Ian White slap shot off the base of the neck. From the impact of the blast, Langkow suffered"
Flames' Langkow recovery going slow
July 3
Calgary Sun
 
"Daymond Langkow's recovery from the neck injury he suffered late in the season is going slower than expected. Flames GM Darryl Sutter said that was a factor in the decision to re-acquire fellow centre Olli Jokinen via free agency on Canada Day. "There's still an issue," Sutter said Friday. "We are 100 days post-injury and we thought he'd be further along than he is. He's probably in the 60% area. I know we're 100 days away (from training camp), but it is a concern." Langkow's season ended in the March 21 game against the Minnesota Wild when he fell to the ice head-first at the exact moment he was hit in the back of the net by a puck shot by teammate Ian White. Langkow, who'll turn 34 in"
Langkow suffered a fracture in vertebrae after puck hit upper back on March 21st
June 16
Calgary Herald
 (scroll down)
"At age 34, Langkow's offensive production also dipped this season from a career high of 33 goals and 77 points to 14 goals and 37 points. For the first time Tuesday, Sutter shed light on the terrifying injury Langkow suffered March 21 when a White point shot pelted him in the base of the neck. "Exactly where the puck hit him, in his third or fourth vertebrae, he had a tiny fracture," Sutter said. "It was nothing that was going to threaten his career or anything like that. "We just wanted the bone to heal and the soft tissue to get rehabbed properly.""
Langkow speaks of dramatic shot
April 1
Calgary Sun
 
"His voice quivering as he talked about the play for the first time, Daymond Langkow misted up a little. It's not over the memories of Ian White's slapshot hitting him in the back of the neck — a play during the March 21 game against the Minnesota Wild that left Langkow in hospital for a few hours while his teammates flew home — it's the idea of his wife and kids watching from Calgary. "It's tough for the family. I was hoping they weren't watching the game," Langkow said, clearing his throat. Asked later whether or not they were parked in front of the TV, Langkow acknowledges how difficult the first few minutes were on them."
Brace off Langkow
March 31
Calgary Sun
 
"Daymond Langkow will talk to the media Wednesday for the first time since suffering a neck injury March 21. The Flames centre hasn't resumed skating, but caught up with all his teammates for Tuesday's practice at the Westside Recreation Centre. The club was gone for several days for a three-game road trip. Langkow wasn't wearing the neck brace he required to return to Calgary after falling head first on the ice while being hit on the back of the neck with a puck. "It's nice to see him moving around, feeling good and upbeat," said captain Jarome Iginla. "It's a boost for the guys and great to see. That's more important than hockey." Langkow was injured in the second period of the club's 4-3"
Injury bug hampers desperate Flames, Langkow out indefinitely
March 23
Calgary Herald
 
"Daymond Langkow is back in Calgary, but how soon he'll be back in the Flames lineup remains unknown. The 33-year-old second-line centre was decked out in a full neck brace Monday after being released from a St. Paul Hospital, where he underwent a battery of tests Sunday night after he was taken off the ice on a stretcher during the second period of the afternoon game against the Minnesota Wild. "I'm fine," he told Herald reporter Vicki Hall before he boarded a plane at the St. Paul-Minneapolis International Airport. "I'm OK. I'll be down at the rink (today) or the next day, so maybe we can set up something to talk to everyone then." Langkow was struck by a puck near the base of the back of"
Langkow injury shakes Flames
March 22
Calgary Herald
 
"Like members of the military, hockey players never like to leave one of their own behind in an enemy city. But the Calgary Flames had to do just that Sunday as veteran Daymond Langkow remained overnight in a St. Paul hospital after taking a puck in the back of the neck in a 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild. According to the Flames, Langkow has feeling and motion in all his extremities. He even phoned his wife from the back of the ambulance to let her know he was all right. But doctors needed more time to complete a battery of tests, including X-rays, so athletic therapist Schad Richea stayed behind in St. Paul until Langkow receives the all-clear to fly home. "When it comes to the neck,"
Flames' Langkow leaves game on stretcher
March 22
Calgary Sun
 
"When Daymond Langkow stays down on the ice for more than a few seconds, you have reason to be concerned. The tough Calgary Flames centre was taken away in a stretcher during the second period after landing awkwardly on his head after bumping off a pair of Minnesota Wild defencemen. Early word from the Flames is Langkow has all feeling and movement and was taken to hospital for precautionary reasons."
Langkow snaps goalless slump
March 6
Calgary Sun
 
"Earning his first point as a member of the Calgary Flames was a relief. Christopher Higgins was more excited about the 5-3 win over the New Jersey Devils — and the fact his linemate snapped a slump that lasted a quarter of the season. "He's been pressing a bit," Higgins said of centre Daymond Langkow, who went 21 games without a goal before earning his 12th of the season to tie the game 1-1 early in the second period. Langkow has been a 20-plus goal scorer in all four of his previous seasons with the Flames. It won't be easy to reach that mark again, but Friday night's effort is a solid start for the man who has twice reached 30 tallies for this team. "Obviously, you're thinking about it,""
Flames warriors set to join elite company
February 5
Calgary Herald
 
"They're a couple of warriors whose National Hockey League careers have evolved along different paths. One has played on four teams; the other has toiled on one. One has been a workmanlike cog in the machine; the other has driven it. Yet, no matter how they've reached this point, Daymond Langkow and Jarome Iginla will this weekend hit a common plateau: 1,000 games in the NHL. They'll get to celebrate that distinguished total as teammates under the warm Florida sunshine: Iginla on Friday against the Panthers and Langkow 24 hours later in the city that launched his professional career, Tampa Bay. "I've been around for a long time, so it's a pretty big accomplishment and it's something I'm"
Flames ride hit parade to victory
December 18
Calgary Herald
 
"Master of the understatement, Flames coach Brent Sutter issued the following comment after his team's 2-1 win Thursday over the Kings. "We wanted to be a team that was more involved physically." Uh, yeah. That was quite obvious. Every period, the Flames out-hit the Kings — 7-3, 11-5, 8-2 -- en route to a 26-10 game total. And Los Angeles, it should be noted, is one of the hittingest groups on the circuit, led by captain Dustin Brown. But it was Brown who wore the bull's-eye Thursday. Mark Giordano rammed him four times, the final time a real rattler. Nothing dirty, however, just punishing checks. Giordano wasn't alone. Fellow rearguards Robyn Regehr and Aaron Johnson and Dion Phaneuf all"
Hard-hitting Flames conquer visiting Kings
December 18
Calgary Herald
 
"Weary and battered, the Los Angeles Kings might have expected a more gracious group of hosts. Especially with Christmas right around the corner. With half a dozen regulars sidelined, stuck playing their 10th match in 17 nights, the Kings would have appreciated a pleasantly uneventful get-together. You know, a nice 60-minute sashay. Let the best power play win. Instead, the Calgary Flames appeared bent on sending the Angelenos home in an ice bag. Particularly eye-catching was Mark Giordano's lump-inducing work on Kings captain -- and National Hockey League hit leader -- Dustin Brown. A handful of times, Giordano singled out Brown for misery. Tone set by Giordano and the rest of the"
Flames end skid with win against Kings
December 18
Calgary Sun
 
"Racing out of their seats to beat the beer line rush at the first intermission cost many fans a glimpse of what a functional powerplay looks like. It lasted only a couple of seconds, but it was enough to put the Calgary Flames on the board. Despite the way goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff played after a couple days of rest, the one goal wasn't enough against the Los Angeles Kings. But the physical Flames eventually pounded the Western Conference leaders into submission for a 2-1 victory at the Saddledome last night to snap a three-game losing streak. "That's what we needed," said Kiprusoff, who made 34 saves and fell just short of a shutout when Corey Elkins potted his first NHL goal midway"
Worry about Langkow? Nah
October 16
Calgary Herald
 
"Not much seems to worry Craig Conroy. He's one of those rare, lucky individuals whose personality has dictated they sail through life propelled by a warm, generous breeze. But even if he were the compulsively fretting sort, a very un-Langkow-like start from Daymond wouldn't have him scrambling for the Pepto-Bismol bottle. On that hot-button topic, he suggests everyone adopt the motto of Mad Magazine's Alfred E. Neuman. "Me? Worried? About Lanks?'' Conroy laughs, waving a hand dismissively. "Oh, no. First guy back. Sticks his nose into the dirty areas. On the right side of the puck all the time. Comes to work every day and quietly does his job. "He's one guy I NEVER worry about.''"