It's been nearly a month since Corey Crawford left the game after smacking the back of his head on the post and was put in the concussion protocol. So what's the latest on the Blackhawks star goaltender?
Well, there's good news and there's non-news.
The good news is, Crawford was seen at the United Center on Wednesday after Blackhawks morning skate and appeared to be a high spirits, smiling and saying hello to several people in the hallway. It's the second time he's publicly been seen in the building, with the first being on Dec. 23 — exactly one week after his injury. Those are both positive signs.
The non-news is, there's no update on his playing status.
"No change," coach Jeremy Colliton said. "He's in the protocol. From my perspective there's no difference."
Crawford's health is the No. 1 priority, and if and when he returns to playing hockey isn't on the forefront of anybody's minds. But there hasn't been any indication from the Blackhawks that Crawford is considering walking away from the game. In fact, they've said a couple times now that they expect him to play when he is cleared for action.
At this point, there's no rush to get him back between the pipes. Even if he was ready to go right now, the Blackhawks probably want to continue giving Collin Delia a strong look to see what they have in him going forward.
And while doing so, it’s even more important that the Blackhawks are overly cautious about Crawford’s situation and make sure he isn't showing any noticeable symptoms over a long period of time before he is cleared to make the decision for himself about the possibility of coming back.