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Stars say Kari Lehtonen’s lower-body injury isn’t “serious”

US Bobby Ryan slides into the net of Fin

US Bobby Ryan slides into the net of Finnish goalie Kari Lehtonen during a preliminary round match of the IIHF International Ice Hockey World Championship against team USA in Helsinki on May 13, 2012, as team USA won 5-0. AFP PHOTO/ ALEXANDER NEMENOV (Photo credit should read ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/GettyImages)

AFP/Getty Images

Mike Heika passes along word from Stars goalie coach Mike Valley that Dallas Stars/Finnish netminder Kari Lehtonen’s lower-body injury shouldn’t be too big of a concern. It will keep him from playing any more games for Finland in the 2012 World Hockey Championships, however.

“They’re still looking at everything, and there has been a lot of communication between doctors there and our trainer,’' Valley said. “They’re not 100 percent sure what the injury is, but I’ve been told it is not a serious injury.”

CBA permitting, the Stars will start training camp in September and the regular season in October. That should give Lehtonen plenty of time to recover from the injury (which could be a groin/knee issue or possibly both), but it’s still not an ideal situation for the Stars.

Lehtonen suffered the mysterious injury when Bobby Ryan bowled him over during a 5-0 win for the US on Sunday: