ATLANTA -- Dany Heatley is expected to recover from his
physical injuries. But can one of hockey's bright young stars
overcome the mental scars after an Atlanta Thrashers teammate was critically injured in a high-speed car crash?
An expert in grief counseling warned Wednesday that Heatley --
charged with being behind the wheel in the wreck that left Dan
Snyder with a skull fracture -- could be in for some dark, dark
days.
"He has to deal with all those feelings of guilt and remorse,
and all the pain that's attached to that," said Len Tuzman,
director of social work at The Zucker Hillside Hospital in New York City. "You worry about people like that."
Meanwhile, the Thrashers returned to the ice for a preseason
game, beating the Florida Panthers 3-2. The team considered canceling
the exhibition, but decided to play.
"We're doing the best thing we can," Thrashers coach Bob
Hartley said after a morning skate. "The guys showed good spirit.
Once the puck drops, we'll be ready to play. I'm sure if you asked
the two Dans, they would want us to play."
Heatley's teammates weren't ready to speculate on how the
22-year-old wing, the MVP of the 2003 All-Star game, will cope with the inevitable feelings of culpability once he rejoins the team.
"I imagine it's going to be very tough," defenseman Chris
Tamer said. "Initially, you just want the guys to get better
physically. Then I'm sure there's going to be a lot of emotions for
both of them. I can't imagine how tough it's going to be for them
and their families."
Police estimated that Heatley's Ferrari was traveling around 80
mph when he lost control on a curve in a two-lane road. The
high-performance sports car plunged into a wrought iron and brick wall in front of an apartment complex.
The car was ripped in half. The players were thrown onto the
road.
"He has to assume some responsibility for what happened,"
Tuzman said. "His guilt is going to be a major issue for him to
deal with. Ultimately, he's going to have to learn to forgive
himself. But he may never be able to fully do that."
Heatley, of course, isn't the first athlete to face the
ramifications of a fatal accident.
In 1993, Jeff Alm of the NFL's Houston Oilers wrecked on a
highway, killing a close friend who was in the car with him.
Apparently overcome with grief, Alm shot himself to death before
police arrived.
Seven years later, NBA players David Wesley and Bobby Phills
sped away from a Charlotte Hornets practice in their Porsches,
reaching speeds up to 100 mph. Police said they were racing. Phills lost control and slid into oncoming traffic. Wesley saw his best friend die in the rearview mirror.
Wesley played on after the wreck, but it took him a while to
recover emotionally.
"He played the rest of the year with a very pensive look on his
face," his coach, Paul Silas, would say later. "I didn't know if
that look would ever go away."
Eventually, it did. Wesley averaged a career-high 17.2 points
the following year. Last season, he scored 16.7 for the Hornets.
"The most important thing is you don't want people to make
major decisions about life at a time like this," Tuzman said.
"It's much too raw."
Heatley was the NHL's rookie of the year in 2002 and scored a
team-record 41 goals last season. His gap-toothed smile was the
face of the Thrashers, a team that begins the season a week from
Thursday with high hopes of making the playoffs for the first time.
Tuzman said it's important for those around Heatley to "give
him the sense that he continues to have value to many people. Over time, they're going to forgive him and he has to forgive himself."
Heatley must realize that he didn't intend to injure Snyder,
Tuzman added. It was a mistake of youth, a lesson he will carry
with him for the rest of his life.
"Most 22-year-olds think they're omnipotent," Tuzman said.
"They don't think anything is ever going to happen to them until
they get a little older and realize how fragile things really
are."
Heatley sustained a broken jaw, minor concussion, a contusion on
his lung and a bruised kidney. Team doctors said none of the
injuries were career threatening.
Then there are the legal troubles. Heatley was charged with
serious injury by vehicle -- a felony -- and three misdemeanors,
police said. He also was given a blood-alcohol test, but the result
may not be known for weeks.
The most serious charge carries a prison sentence of up to 15
years, if convicted. Prosecutors could allow Heatley to plead
guilty to a lesser offense that would remove the possibility of
jail time.
For now, everyone is focused on Snyder and Heatley making a full recovery.
"I'm not worried about the other things," goalie Pasi Nurminen
said. "I just want to see those guys back with us."