After six games of excitement, Sheldon Souray announced last Tuesday February 12, to the disappointment of Oilers fans, that he is cutting his season short because of a shoulder injury, which left him with a torn labrum and bicep.  He will be undergoing surgery on Friday then will be on rehab afterward, and will not be able continue to play.

Thirty-one year old Souray signed a five-year $27 million contract with the Oilers last July.  He got his injury when playing against Vancouver Canucks.  After missing 25 games, he tried to come back on Dec 11 only to discover that it would take a while for his shoulder to heal.  He missed another game on Jan 3, went back to play in 10 games, then left again on Jan 29.  Souray describes the season as a challenging one.  He finally decided to have his shoulder fixed now instead of delaying it, so that he will be sure to come back in top shape next year.

Coach Craig MacTavish originally set up the Oilers defenceman to take 25 minutes of play time each night.  Souray also wanted to perform really well but was not able to do so because of his injury.  Apart from Souray, the Oilers also lost Shawn Horcoff and Raffi Torres this season because of shoulder surgery and knee surgery, respectively.