Agent: Good news on Conor Timmins

When Conor Timmins went out with a suspected head injury in Game 6 of the Avalanche’s second-round series with the Dallas Stars, worst-case scenarios immediately went through the minds of everyone, and with good reason. Timmins, after all, missed more than a full year of his playing career because of a serious concussion.

On Thursday, however, Timmins’ agent, Anton Thun, delivered seemingly good news:

“I just talked to Conor, and he told me he’s feeling much better,” Thun told Colorado Hockey Now. “He’s home now (in the Toronto area) and he’s in very good spirits.”

Thun wouldn’t specify the nature of Timmins’ injury, but it certainly appeared related to the head. In the second period of Game 6, Timmins took a hit from Stars veteran Andrew Cogliano, a hit in which Timmins’ head collided against the glass. Timmins actually played a couple more shifts after the hit, but left the game and didn’t return, and he did not play in Game 7.

It’s important to stress here though: concussions are tricky beasts. Timmins obviously didn’t feel well enough to play after the hit. If he’s feeling better now, it doesn’t mean he won’t feel bad again after any strenuous physical activity. In other words: Timmins likely has a bunch of tests ahead of him in the near future, to assess whether he’s actively concussed still. If it’s not a concussion – and we don’t know if that’s what he had/has or if it’s something else – then that’s likely the best news of all.

But, let’s be real here. A player with a concussion history, whose head hit the glass and who couldn’t play after it? Yeah, you’re going to worry about a new concussion.

Said Thun, whose roster of clients once included former Av Joey Hishon – whose career was partially derailed by concussions: “I told Conor, ‘look, that’s great, but take some time and let’s talk again in another week or so.’ But certainly, it was good to hear that from him.”