Despite Not Playing, Dogwood Maple Ends up on Injured List

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Vancouver Wolves forward Dogwood Maple ended up on the injury list this week, despite not playing a game.  With the Wolves preparing for the playoffs and having a bye in the first round, the mood was mostly relaxed around the Vancouver training facility as players were getting crucial rest and recuperation this week.  Star forward Dogwood Maple had hoped to get some of the same.  What actually transpired could end up wrecking the Wolves' chances of repeating as champs.

 

"Well it started off innocent enough," Maple explained. "I was in Target the other day and I saw a book full of Sudoku puzzles.  You know, the ones with blocks and rows and columns where you have to write in all the corresponding numbers?  Well I had never really done one of those before, but I figured why not?  This was the perfect week because it was a light time for us with no game.  So I started doing them and I absolutely loved them.  The first dozen or so were pretty easy, which was nice since I was just starting out. But the deeper I got into the book, the more I became obsessed with them, I guess you could say," Maple said.

 

This obsession led to some concerning consequences.  

 

According to an anonymous team source, Maple started carrying the Sudoku book around with him literally everywhere he went.  Working out in the team facility?  Book in hand.  Doing some light practice on the ice?  He literally held the book in one hand and his hockey stick in the other.  Maple apparently even showered with the book.  When approached about the shower incident, Maple was asked about the water ruining the pages and making the ink run, which was a more than fair question.  Maple had apparently thought of this already and treated the book with an anti-water spray and bought expensive water-proof ink that he was using so the puzzles wouldn't be ruined.  This all finally came to a head when a couple of his teammates and him went out for coffee.

 

"We were ready to order and Dogwood just stood there, mumbling to himself.  About how "9 couldn't go there because it already showed up in the vertical column" and just repeating a bunch of numbers to himself.  The barista finally just handed him a cup of black coffee and looked at us bewildered," one teammate said.

 

The team trainer tried to sit Maple down and explain that he needed to focus a little more on hockey, but Maple simply pulled out his Sudoku book and started working right in front of the trainer, which led to Maple officially placed on the Injured List.  This was the first time Maple had been designated as injured and that's what truly woke him up out of his stupor. He's made some improvements in the last day or so and is considered day-to-day for the playoffs.

 

"I think I just let it consume me.  It was really nice to get a good sense of accomplishment when I did each puzzle. I felt like I was being productive, but it spiraled out of control there a little bit.  I still like to do the puzzles, but I can't let it dictate my life.  Especially with this playoff run coming up, we all have to be on our A game," Maple said.

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Should I tell him that the play-offs are like Sudoku since a combination of sixteen wins means the team will win the Championship. It is just a matter of getting them in the right order before the team acquires four loses in a series or row. Might be stretching this a bit much but hey anything to try to get him to focus now!!