Steven Kampfer Optimistic He’ll Be Ready to Play in Columbus, While Andrew Ference Rules Out Tuesday Return

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Mar 14, 2011

WILMINGTON, Mass. — The Bruins will be taking eight defensemen with them on their upcoming road trip. They hope they'll have the minimum six available when that trip opens Tuesday in Columbus.

Injured blueliners Steven Kampfer (concussion), Andrew Ference (lower body) and Shane Hnidy (shoulder) will all be part of the traveling party, but Kampfer appears to be the only possibility to play in Columbus. 

"All three of them are coming on the trip," Bruins coach Claude Julien said after the club's practice at Ristuccia Arena. "Hnidy is not available yet. Kampfer and Ference will be probably decisions as we move forward here. If Kampfer feels good, then he's going to be cleared, but right now I don't think there's any definite decision that's been made."

The Bruins sent Matt Bartkowski back to Providence on Saturday after he filled in on the blue line for four games, but Bartkowski won't be summoned back to the big club for insurance. Nor will there be any other call-ups.

"We feel that one of them at least will be ready, and hopefully two," Julien said of Ference and Kampfer.

But Ference was quick to make it clear that he won't be in the lineup Tuesday.

"I'm not playing [Tuesday]," Ference said matter-of-factly when asked about his status.

Ference returned to practice on Sunday and has been cleared for contact, but he still has a way to go to be ready for actual game action.

"It's feeling better every day," said Ference, who has missed the last seven games since being hurt on a hit in Vancouver on Feb. 26. "There's definitely progress. I guess it's going as expected, following protocol and doing a bit more each day. I didn't get too much physical contact, so that's probably the next step."

Ference wouldn't rule out playing later on the trip, which brings the Bruins to Nashville on Thursday and Toronto on Saturday, but a return later this week isn't a guarantee either.

"It just depends on how it feels after every day," Ference said. "It's day to day."

Ference did state that he wants to get back as soon as possible, but he also wants to make sure he can help the team when he returns and doesn't come back before he is ready to contribute positively.

"The day after you're hurt, you're anxious to get back," Ference said. "It's just that balance of being smart, doing what's best for your injury and also not coming back at a point where you're a detriment to your team by rushing things and not having enough health to play efficiently."

Kampfer is equally eager to return and is hopeful that he will be back in the lineup on Tuesday. He also returned to practice Sunday and has had no setbacks in two days of full contact drills. He just needs final clearance from the medical staff to be available on Tuesday.

"I still have to make the call to the doctor to clarify everything, but as far as I know, I'm good to go," Kampfer said. "That's Claude's decision. I feel good. I feel ready to go. Obviously you want to play, but I feel ready to go. I just have to wait for one more decision from the doc."

There is still some risk in relying on Kampfer's availability, as concussions are a tricky business. If he feels symptoms again after traveling, the Bruins could be scrambling to get another defenseman to Ohio in time. However, the rookie is confident his latest head injury is completely behind him.

"I felt good skating," said Kampfer, who has missed four games since being injured against Tampa Bay on March 3. "I felt good getting hit a little bit. It all comes down to how I feel for the rest of the day and when I wake up [on Tuesday]."

Hnidy was signed late last month to give the Bruins some depth on defense if injuries struck down the stretch. But the injuries started to mount before Hnidy himself was ready to play as he continues to work his way back from shoulder surgery.

Having finally been cleared for full contact, Hnidy will accompany the team on this trip and continue to practice, but there is still no definite timetable for when he will be available to play in games.

"So far it's been no problems, and it feels good to be able to do everything again," Hnidy said of being cleared for contact. "Playing a game is the next step, but it's not something you want to rush. That's out of my control."

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