Red Wings C Draper to miss two weeks

Nov 28, 2007 - 9:45 PM DETROIT (Ticker) -- Detroit Red Wings center Kris Draper is expected to miss up to two weeks after he suffered a sprained left knee during the first period of Tuesday's game against the Calgary Flames.

Draper, who scored his sixth goal of the season earlier in the session, did not return to the game.

"It was harmless, which is the frustrating thing," Draper said Wednesday. "I know that I had my right leg planted and my left leg was kind of behind me a little bit. I don't know if I just fell on it awkward, and there was a twist. But I've been hit a lot worse and been in a lot more vulnerable situations and didn't have anything happen. That's the frustrating thing is that it was a harmless play."

The 'harmless play' resulted in Draper driving himself to Detroit Medical Center for an MRI exam.

"They told me that it's a knee sprain," he said. "They gave me basic terms and told me that it's going to be 10 days to two-week period."

In his 14th season with the Red Wings, Draper has six goals, five assists and 32 penalty minutes in 24 games this season.

Draper, 36, has enjoyed enormous success with the Red Wings, helping the storied franchise win Stanley Cups in 1997, 1998 and 2002.

In addition to his grit and leadership, Draper won the Selke Award in 2004 as the league's best defensive forward. He also represented Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Draper, who played his first three seasons with Winnipeg, has registered 138 goals and 308 points in 909 career contests.