Helm receives good news on back injury

Helm receives good news on back injury

Published Jan. 13, 2013 3:13 p.m. ET

PLYMOUTH, Mich. — Darren Helm is happy the NHL is back but he's not happy that he has yet another injury.

Fortunately, it doesn't seem to be a serious one.

Helm tweaked his back doing some squats during off-ice workouts last week.

"It was just weird how it happened, it was light weights, I was warmed up," Helm said at Compuware Arena after the Red Wings' first official practice of abbreviated training camp. "It's hard for me to bend down and touch my toes or pick anything up."

Coach Mike Babcock is just pleased it wasn't more serious.

"We got great news today though. The MRI shows nothing," Babcock said. "So that's all I was worried about. He'll be back right away. He's got his run out, what did he have last year? The wrist, the face this year already  and this, so it's done, isn't it?"

Helm has had more than his share of injuries, including a knee injury that cost him the end of the regular season last year; then his most serious injury, when a skate blade lacerated a tendon in his wrist in his first shift back in the playoffs.

During informal workouts, Helm took an errant puck to the face and had to get some treatment for that.

So it's no wonder that he's at the point where he's saying enough already.

"It's starting to bug me, but I'm staying positive," Helm said. "It's got to end sometime, right? This string of bad luck and injuries. I'm hoping this is the last one. Get back playing.''

Helm fears he might have brought this injury on by teasing the older Todd Bertuzzi about some of his back problems.

"I feel it's like karma almost," Helm said. "I usually bug Bert a little bit about his back every once in a while."

Helm said his back has felt better every day and he hopes to be back on the ice soon.

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