There are times Jason Jaffray’s hand finds itself to the scar in his throat, to the place where, in a mid-April operation, a surgeon worked to fuse damaged discs in his neck.

“Nothing I worry about. Just a reminder of everything I’ve gone through to get to this point,” said the St. John’s IceCaps’ centre, set to play his first game of the 2012-13 American Hockey League season tonight at Mile One Centre against the Portland Pirates.

It will actually be Jaffray’s first game since late March, when, in a road game against the Admirals in Norfolk, a crunching hit from rugged defenceman Radko Gudas led to the injuries that necessitated the spinal fusion the following month.


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