After missing a little more than a month with a broken orbital bone, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky is nearing a return to the lineup.
A recent report from The Athletic stated that he was sent home from Las Vegas due to personal reasons and in his first media availability since the story broke, Dubinsky stood by his locker stall and answered all questions.
When asked if his situation involved anything more than an eye injury, he chose not to elaborate.
"You guys (the media) can speculate all you want," said Dubinsky. "That’s up to you. I’m telling you what I’m going to tell you. We’re people too. We have stuff that is private to us and we want to keep that way."
When asked if head coach John Tortorella was there to support him, Dubinsky was effusive in his praise.
"You can never have enough people in your corner. That’s one thing about Torts," Dubinsky said. "He’s always been there. We have fought like cats and dogs a helluva a lot of times. He’s always been there for me and always has been in my corner."
On the ice, with a potential return to action coming as early as tonight against the Minnesota Wild, Dubinsky just wants to move forward. As a professional athlete, he knows that media attention and coverage is all part of the job.
"I've been around long enough. I've seen the media say all sorts of things about all sorts of players, so it's not just me," Dubinsky said. "You've got to have a thick skin when you play sports and are in the public."
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