Flyers mull socks that guard against dangerous cuts

NEWARK, N.J. - Ever since Matt Cooke's errant skate tore through 70 percent of Ottawa star Erik Karlsson's Achilles' tendon on Wednesday night on national television, there has been a buzz in the Flyers' locker room.

No, there isn't any chatter about Cooke's intent or culpability in the hockey play, since almost every player agrees that even if he wanted to, Cooke would have a hard time driving his skate blade into Karlsson's boot.

Instead, the Flyers are looking to do anything they can to prevent a similar crippling injury. Karlsson, the reigning Norris Trophy winner, underwent season-ending surgery Thursday morning.

During Friday's morning skate at the Prudential Center, four Flyers - Brayden Schenn, Tye McGinn, Ruslan Fedotenko and Wayne Simmonds - were trying out special, Kevlar-reinforced, cut-proof socks for the first time under their equipment.

It's been a big trend in NHL locker rooms this week; the Vancouver Canucks placed a pair in every player's locker stall on Thursday.

The socks, which rise to just below the knee, are about the same weight and as other hockey-specific, moisture-wicking socks found in locker rooms. They're just a tad thicker.

As if they were designed by Batman's butler Alfred in Wayne Manor, they are made to withstand a piercing skate blade. The Canucks' Kevin Bieksa, who had an Achilles' tear from a skate, tested the socks with an X-Acto knife and scissors before wearing them and the socks held strong.

According to Flyers equipment manager Derek Settlemyre, only forward Sean Couturier has worn the socks before Karlsson's injury. They range from $18 to $22 per pair and have not needed to be replaced throughout the first quarter of the season.

Couturier, 20, was cut just under his shin pad against the Devils during last year's playoff series. The cut required stitches and he missed the remainder of Game 3 before returning in a limited capacity for Game 4.

(Couturier returned to the lineup on Friday after missing two games with a stomach virus.)

"I don't even remember how the cut happened, it happened quick, I'm not even sure which play," Couturier said. "It was scary. The socks are similar, maybe a little thicker, but I'm not really picky on that. It doesn't bother me."

Zac Rinaldo missed more than a week's worth of time earlier this season when he was cut near his quadriceps area by an errant skate in Buffalo.

"It doesn't take much, I'll tell you that," Rinaldo said. "Skates are so sharp now."

Simmonds tried out the socks for the first time on Friday.

"They feel like socks," he said, laughing. "I'm going to wear them tonight. I don't see any reason why I'd ever wear anything else again."

Simmonds also weighed in on Cooke's unfortunate positioning. Cooke was not suspended by the NHL's Department of Player Safety, since it was labeled as a "hockey play gone wrong."

"I don't think he stepped on him on purpose," Simmonds said. "I don't see how on that play, you can get in there on that. He had speed. In my mind, I don't think he came down with force in an attempt to hurt his Achilles'."

He said no one would be mentioning intent on a similar play if Cooke was not involved.

"He's got a vicious reputation," Simmonds said. "He's done a lot of stupid things in his career, but I'd like to think that's not intentional."

Interestingly, none of the Flyers' goaltenders wears the Kevlar-reinforced socks. They would seem to be the most prone to flying skate blades, given where they make their living. The most infamous (and frightening) skate cut of all-time occurred on March 22, 1989, in Buffalo, where goalie Clint Malarchuk had his jugular accidentally severed by St. Louis' Steve Tuttle and nearly died on the ice.

Today, Kevlar neck guards are seldom worn by pro players, but manufacturers so also make arm sleeves and wrist guards, which some Flyers said they would investigate.

"You can get a skate anywhere," Simmonds said. "I think when it comes to protecting yourself from a skate, you take the precaution. In a scrum, it can come from anywhere. A couple years ago, I got a skate right across my face. You never know what's going to happen."

Quotable

"I'm proud, of course. But it's up to my ability, not my nationality to get the job done. It's not about the front page of your passport. It's about your ability to do the job." - Jarmo Kekalainen, hired by the Blue Jackets on Wednesday as the NHL's first European-born general manager. Roughly 30 percent of NHL players are from Europe, yet few coaches and management have made the jump. Kekalainen, 46, is a close friend of the Flyers' Kimmo Timonen and was his first agent.

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