ROTTERDAM -- Albany River Rats alternate captain Mike Angelidis will miss up to six weeks with an injury to his left shoulder suffered in the second period of a 6-3 season-opening loss to Manchester on Oct. 3.
Angelidis, 24, was hurt after being taken down by Monarchs defenseman Patrick Mullen at the 10:28 mark and crashed heavily into the end boards adjacent to the Manchester net. He was able to skate off the ice on his own, but did not return.
An MRI exam done on Monday confirmed the damage initially diagnosed by team doctors.
"It didn't show anything that we didn't know from when the doctor first looked at him," head coach Jeff Daniels said today. "There's no operation, no surgeries, none of that. It's just a matter of healing.
"He's 4-6 (weeks), they're saying right now. We're hoping it's the four and not the six, but it's one of those things where we'll have to wait and see."
Angelidis had 15 goals and a team-high 142 penalty minutes in 67 games for Albany last season, his third with the club. He fought Manchester's Drew Bagnall at 19:18 of the first period over the weekend.
Angelidis missed 13 games to end last season after separating the same shoulder in a 1-0 shootout victory at Providence on March 20.
"There was a ligament in there that he didn't hurt last time that he hurt this time, something like that," Daniels said. "He said he feels good, but it's just one of those things where he has to take some time.
"He wears a sling for the most part just to keep it from moving around and restricted. He's keeping his legs by riding the bike and that kind of stuff, but as I said last year, it's a big loss for us. He's a huge part of this team."
Second-year forward Harrison Reed will step into the lineup when the Rats host Portland on Friday at the former Knickerbocker Arena. Injured to start the year, rookie Matthew Pistilli is also healthy and available, Daniels said.
Daniels plans to give incumbent No. 1 goaltender Justin Peters and rookie Mike Murphy each a start this weekend. Albany also hosts the Rochester Americans on Saturday night.
Peters and Daniels were in town to tape a segment for an upcoming show to promote the Time Warner Cable Cup series of 12 regular-season matchups between the Rats and Adirondack Phantoms, the first coming Oct. 17 in Glens Falls. The show will air on TW-3 starting next week.
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