Even significant injuries don't keep true hockey players off the ice

Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell gets pushed shoulder first into the boards by Washington's Alex Ovechkin and suffers a broken collarbone.

Campbell is expected to miss 7-8 weeks - at least through the first playoff series - but senses he's needed earlier and returns before he's fully healed to help the Hawks advance past Nashville in the opening round.

"If it was a situation where we weren't down two games to one, I probably wouldn't be playing," Campbell told reporters.

But that's what hockey players do.

In the Western Conference semifinals, Vancouver's Sami Salo blocks a deflected shot by Duncan Keith with his groin, writhes in pain on the ice and spends some time in the hospital.

But when the first puck drops in the very next game, there's Salo out there gutting it out for the Canucks.

"Just being out there shows how much he wants it," Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa marvels.

That's what hockey players do.

On Sunday, a clearing attempt by San Jose's Patrick Marleau sends Keith's mouthguard flying and dislodges seven of his teeth, one of which is caught in his throat before he coughs it out.

Keith heads to the dressing room where he receives some novocaine and six minutes later he's back on the ice as the Hawks wrap up a series sweep and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

"It's just missing teeth," Keith said afterward. "It's a long way from the heart."

That again is what hockey players do.

And that's what hockey players have always done.

"It didn't surprise me at all; as competitive as he is," said former Blackhawks great Cliff Koroll. "That's typical of a hockey player. You just spit out the teeth and get right back out there, which he did."

"He's the type of player where you don't think twice about sitting out over something like that.

"It takes a lot of courage and a lot of conviction to get back out there to support your team, and that's why he is as great as he is."