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Valtteri Filppula injury: Red Wings forward sprains MCL in Finland

Detroit Red Wings forward Valtteri Filppula suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament while playing a game in Finland on Tuesday.

By Dave Ryan
Martin Rose

Hoping to stay fresh by playing overseas during the lockout, Detroit Red Wings forward Valtteri Filppula could be forced to miss an extended period of time after injuring his MCL on Tuesday according to a report by Ansar Khan of MLive.com.

The 28-year-old Filppula suffered the injury in a game with his Finnish team Jokerit, and was immediately taken in for an MRI to determine if he may have a possible season-ending injury. A star performer for his international club with 15 points through 15 games in the SM-liiga this year, Filppula's exact timetable will not be fully clear until doctors assess his MRI results.

In addition to suiting up for a career-high 81 games a year ago, Filppula set career-bests with both 23 goals and 43 assists last season for the Wings. The chances of the NHL resuming in 2013 continue to grow bleaker by the day, but Filppula's injury could potentially affect his future with the organization due to the fact that he only has one year remaining on his contract.