Concussion sits Turek indefinitely

"Everything was jittery and in slow motion,'' the Aces defenseman recalled. "I knew something wasn't right when I couldn't follow the puck.''

Turek, a second-year pro, said he struggled with his equilibrium later in the period and dry heaved in the locker room during the first intermission. He was finished for the game, and now he is out indefinitely, which means he will sit out this weekend's home series against the Bakersfield Condors.

Still, the Aces caught a break of sorts. Just as Turek moved onto the injured-reserve list, defenseman T.J. Fast returned from Peoria of the American Hockey League.

Turek said he suffered the concussion when he slid along the ice trying to break up a play. He thinks his head collided with either an opponent's shin pad or the hardened toe cap on an opponent's skate. Then he slid head-first into the base of the dasher boards.

As he watched his teammates practice Wednesday morning, Turek said he is feeling better, but still suffering headaches. He said he felt miserable on the two flights the team took home from California on Monday.

"Every time we came down (in altitude), it felt like my head was going to explode,'' he said.

Aces coach Brent Thompson said he expects Turek to miss at least two weeks. The club will be very cautious about Turek's return, he said.

"We don't take anything like that lightly,'' Thompson said. "We'll wait until he's 100 percent. We don't take any chances with head injuries.''

And that's the way Turek is approaching his recovery.

"Everyone's on the same page -- it's not something to mess with,'' Turek said.

Shuffling the deck

Winger Brett Hemingway didn't practice Wednesday. The Aces are trying to trade the third-year pro, who has been in and out of the lineup.

"We're working to trade him to somewhere he can play,'' Thompson said. "He's been a good player, and good for the organization, and we want to find him a place to play.''

Hemingway has played in half the club's games this season -- six of 12 -- and furnished one assist. Last season, he produced 10-32--42 totals in 58 games after earning 11-15--26 totals in 25 games after being acquired in a trade as a rookie in 2007-08.

The Aces have 15 forwards, which is two or three more than most ECHL teams. ECHL teams dress 10 forwards for games.

The Aces are likely to move or release another forward or two this month. That's because forwards Jason Ryznar (broken hand) and Justin Johnson (broken hand) are likely coming off injured reserve in the next week or two, veteran forward Eric Boguniecki (conditioning) is likely to do the same, and there remains the potential return of center John Lammers (on AHL call-up).

Find Doyle Woody's blog at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.