On Feb. 20, Joni Ortio, the Adirondack Flames' starting goalie, stepped on the ice for a game against the Oklahoma City Barons. Seven minutes and 16 seconds later, he was off the ice, and the next morning, diagnosed with a high ankle sprain that was going to keep him out 6-8 weeks.
The NHL trade deadline was just a week and a half away.
With Karri Ramo being an upcoming unrestricted free agent, and Ortio almost certainly slated to be the backup next season, it was bad timing. Ramo probably went from on the block to off it, and Adirondack, already on the playoff bubble, fell into a tailspin of losses it couldn't recover from.