Sharp pain: Chicago’s Patrick Sharp has emergency appendectomy

When he hurt his knee last season, Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Sharp rushed back from injury because the team's offense stunk and they were playing .500 hockey in a playoff race.

Expect no such rush back from his emergency appendectomy on Monday -- thank the preseason for that.

From the Blackhawks and Head Team Physician Dr. Michael Terry:

So Sharp will miss training camp and there's an outside shot he could miss Chicago's opening weekend against the Dallas Stars (Oct. 7 and Oct. 8). Blackhawks camp opens this Saturday.

Speedy recovery, Patrick Sharp. Take solace in the fact that you've got a 5-year, $29.5 million contract kicking in during 2012. And in the fact that you're Patrick Sharp, and we're not.