It is the worst kind of purgatory for a hockey player.
Every NHL team has 23 roster spots. But only 20 players can dress for a game, leaving three unlucky souls stuck high above the ice in the press box wearing a suit.
Harder still is going from a consistent “healthy scratch” immediately back to the ice — especially in the midst of a furious playoff chase.
For most of the season, the Capitals have kept eight NHL-caliber defenseman on the roster even though teams rarely dress more than six. It was a calculated move to guard against the inevitable injuries that killed the team in previous seasons. But it also left defensemen John Erskine and Steve Eminger out of the lineup for weeks at a time.
“It’s a hard way to do it because guys like myself and [Eminger] have played in the NHL and know we can play there,” said the 6-foot-4, 216-pound Erskine. “No one wants to sit. But it happens.”
Only once in his six NHL seasons has Erskine, 27, played more than his 49 games this year. Eminger, 24, is a different story. The Caps’ first-round pick in 2002 played a combined 132 games the past two seasons. This year, however, he has appeared in just 18.
Eminger likely will be back on the ice tonight when the Caps face Tampa Bay. Defenseman Shaone Morrisonn was favoring his left shoulder and collarbone after a first-period hit Tuesday by Carolina right wing Jeff Hamilton. Morrisonn had a doctor’s visit on Wednesday, according to coach Bruce Boudreau, and was ruled out for at least tonight’s game.
“You can practice all you want, but if you miss four or five games you’re never in game shape,” Erskine said. “It’s like playoff hockey out there right now. I missed two weeks and jumped right in. But it’s quicker, guys are hitting more, it’s a lot rougher. You have to keep mind in your game.”
