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Kolzig Not Ready To Call It A Career

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON

eerlendsson@tampatrib.com

Published: January 29, 2009

Updated: 01/29/2009 05:11 am

RALEIGH, N.C. - Olie Kolzig is not ready to call his season-ending arm surgery the end of his career. But he's certainly thinking about hanging up his pads and skates.

Kolzig will have surgery to repair a ruptured distal biceps tendon in his left arm Saturday in Washington, D.C., and he will need three to four months of recovery time. After 18 seasons in the NHL, facing a tough rehabilitation might make a 19th season too much to ask of himself.

"To know that it's going to be a three- to four-month healing process to get back, you can basically write this year off and my future, for me in my mind, there's a lot of doubt about my future as far as hockey goes," Kolzig said. "That's right now, but come June or July that might change, as it did last year when at the end of the season I was leaning toward retirement. But as I got further and further removed from the season, I felt that I still had a lot to give to the game.

"But the older you get it just becomes a grind so I have to be in a mental state of mind that I've got to be committed and it's going to take a lot of work to play at a high level. Right now, I'm going to worry about getting this healed and then come June and July I'll make a decision and sit down with my family and see what happens."

Lightning interim coach Rick Tocchet, who has now played with, against and coached Kolzig, hopes the veteran goaltender decides to come back.

"I'm a big Olie fan, I hope he keeps playing next year," Tocchet said. "I don't know what he's going to do, but he's such a great guy and he works so hard."

GOALIE SWAP: The Lightning will announce today the recall of goalie Riku Helenius from AHL Norfolk to replace goaltender Karri Ramo, who was handed a six-game suspension for his actions at the end of a game with the Admirals on Saturday. Ramo left the bench at the end of the game and got involved in an altercation, which carries an automatic six-game suspension that also prevents him from playing at the NHL level. Ramo, who was not available for comment Wednesday, will be eligible to return after Feb. 8.

Reporter Erik Erlendsson can be reached at (813) 259-7835.

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