DENVER – For the first time in quite a while, Colorado Avalanche forward Peter Mueller’s focus is on hockey instead of his head.
So antsy for the start of training camp Saturday, Mueller was one of the first to arrive at the rink, eager to resume his career after missing an entire season with a concussion.
After a team scrimmage in which he dished out and took some good hits, Mueller proclaimed himself fully fit.
“Things are good,” Mueller said. “Didn’t really feel anything.”
Over the offseason, Mueller worked on strengthening the muscles in his neck to avoid another round of concussions. He sustained a head injury when he took a blow along the boards against San Jose on April 4, 2010, and hasn’t been completely right since.
This season, Mueller will wear a specially designed helmet that has extra padding and a tinted visor to shield his eyes from the glare of arena lights. He also will don thicker shoulder pads.
“I’m ready to get this thing going,” Mueller said. “I’m feeling great.”
The 23-year-old was part of a rash of concussions last season that sidelined some of the top players in the game, including Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby.
That led the league to amend and strengthen
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