Positive news for Quintal
After suffering a scare over the weekend due to an apparent irregular heartbeat, Stephane Quintal was relaxed and in good spirits at the Bell Centre on Monday afternoon.
“They don’t really know yet,” said Quintal of the exact nature of his condition. “I’m having some blood work done, and I’ll have the results [Tuesday].”
The defenseman first felt out of sorts during Friday’s morning skate in Buffalo. Quintal was fatigued during practice, but dismissed the feeling before growing concerned when his heartbeat started beating erratically prior to the team’s pregame meal. Attempting to nap but growing even further alarmed when he was almost too lethargic to go to the bathroom, Quintal returned to the arena and consulted Graham Rynbend, the club’s head athletic therapist.
Rynbend ultimately called an ambulance, which arrived with staff that performed an echocardiogram on Quintal before referring him to an area hospital. After medication administered there failed to stabilize his heartbeat, Quintal opted to return home to Montreal for treatment rather than remain in Buffalo.
The initial results were no more encouraging than they had been south of the border: A Friday night visit to a Montreal emergency room provided more medication and a continued lack of results. Finally, on Saturday afternoon, a type of electroshock treatment jolted the 35-year-old’s heart back into its regular rhythm.
“I feel good now,” the veteran told a gathering of media. “They said it might happen again, or it might never happen again. We’ll see.”
Quintal, who rode a stationary bike for 30 minutes Monday morning without difficulty, expressed his hope that the condition is by no means career-threatening.
“They’ve done all the tests they can do and my heart is fine,” he said, adding that there was some speculation his thyroid might be partially to blame. “They said sometimes it can be from stress, but I’m not really stressed out. It’s a happy time in my life right now, so I’ve ruled that out.”
Quintal’s wide, Anick, is expecting the couple’s first child on Wednesday or Thursday. Even in a best-case scenario, the veteran admitted he’d likely miss Thursday’s game against the Islanders to be with his family before returning for Saturday’s tilt with the Senators in Ottawa.
“It’s good timing, I guess,” he added with a laugh.
J.S. Trzcienski is the Site Manager for canadiens.com.
I think bringing back stephane will do more harm than good for this organiztion
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Go Habs Go! The Drive for 25 is Alive :wavetowel !
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Positive news for Quintal
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