Komets captain Colin Chaulk, who was injured during Tuesday's 3-2 victory at Bloomington, Ill., might play Friday night against the Blaze.
Chaulk suffered concussion-like symptoms when his head hit the ice, after a punch from Bloomington's Ryan Palmer early in the game.
"I feel pretty good today," Chaullk said Wednesday. "No headache. Just a sore head like ... if you've ever been in a fight, how it hurts to brush your hair. So, heck with it, I'll just wear a hat."
General manager David Franke said Chaulk will undergo further concussion testing Thursday and that a decision about his availability won't likely be made until after Friday's morning skate.
Chaulk made it clear that he went after Palmer, who was suspended one game for clipping the Komets' Brett Smith on Jan. 13. Smith missed five games with a concussion.
"Yeah, I went after him," Chaulk said. "I pretty much felt that with the stuff that had happened before, it (was needed), and I felt the team needed a spark. It just didn't go as planned. Maybe you shouldn't plan that stuff."
Knowing fans are wondering why he didn't leave the policing to the Komets' tough guys, such as Brent Henley, David Starenky or Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock, Chaulk said: "If you are any kind of competitor, any kind of leader, you want people to do what you ask of them. And you have to be willing to do it yourself, too. Those guys (fight) all the time. Look at what they go through. They're just obviously better at it than me."
Chaulk said he passed all the concussion tests in the locker room Tuesday, and he was examined by two doctors. The topic of Sidney Crosby, the Pittsburgh Penguins' star, who has been battling concussion symptoms for the last year, even came up and they decided it would be better for Chaulk not to go back on the ice and further hurt himself.
As for Jesse Bennefield, who was put on injured reserve to make room for Leo Thomas on Tuesday, Franke said it's a leg injury. He wouldn't confirm whether it's the same issue, an infection, that cost Bennefield 14 early season games.
