Although he is feeling better, Shanahan does not know how long he will be out for. He said he will have to check back weekly with the doctors, but thinks he will be playing again before the season ends.
"I am optimistic," he said. "I have no experience to draw from and I have been very lucky in my career from injuries. I have a hard Irish head. What I have been hearing from everyone, this – unlike other injuries – there's no exact science."
Shanahan hit the ice in a collision with the Flyers' Mike Knuble last Saturday. Leaving the ice from his shift, Shanahan connected with the Flyers' forward and banged his head on the ice. As he spoke, he was missing his front tooth, he lost in Carolina a few days earlier.
He said he did watch the collision on tape, but still doesn't remember it occurring.
"The first thing I remembered, which is kind of a nice feeling was the fans chanting my name," he said. "The reason I remembered it is because I thought I scored. It brings me back to the Garden fans again and what the brought me in the short time I was in New York."
Right now, Shanahan says he feels pretty normal, but does get more sleep for recovery reasons. He also has been going to the rink to get treatment to get back as soon as possible.
And the Rangers will need Shanahan healthy if they hope to make the playoffs. His 28 goals and 26 assists have been missed this past week, as the Rangers lost some tough ones to New Jersey. Now in 12th place in the East, the every win is important.
But all of that doesn't mean Shanahan will try to come back early.
"I have been well trained in playing hurt and playing in pain," Shanahan said. "But this is something that would be stupid for me to play with symptoms. There is no disguising it or masking it. The doctors have been warned by my wife, that I do play hurt. But this one I have to approach differently than the injuries I have approached in the past."
Obviously he is cautious, although that doesn't mean his passion has diminished. .
"It scares you for sure," he said. "To be unconscious like that and lose your memory. By no means does that mean it changed my passion for playing. Regardless of what other people have gone through, we all have a different history. I had lots of chances to get one, but never got one. I still have the passion to play the game of hockey and I can't wait to get back."
