Darren Helm out 2-4 weeks after separating shoulder following collision

Training camp started for the Detroit Red Wings with a pair of injuries following a dangerous collision on Friday.

During the team’s first practice, Darren Helm and camp invitee Jerome Verrier collided. It was one of those crashes where neither player saw the other. For Verrier, the end result was a broken leg, which was operated on Saturday morning. Helm, meanwhile, suffered a Grade 1 shoulder separation and will miss 2-4 weeks, per Red Wings GM Ken Holland. Helm is also undergoing concussion tests.

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"You never want to see that, especially in practice," new Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill said, via the Detroit News. "Unfortunately we weren't able to give the heads up to the guys soon enough. Obviously the drill got messed up a little bit. It was unfortunate.”

"The kid (Verrier), he was in so much pain,” said Johan Franzen. “It made me feel a little sick.”

Helm was penciled in on a second line with Brad Richards and Tomas Tatar.

The 21-year old Verrier earned himself a training camp invite after his play during the summer developmental camp. Playing in the QMJHL last season with Drummondville and Quebec, he suited up for only 40 games while dealing with injuries to his back, ankle and shoulder. He would later suffer a concussion during the postseason.

"The thing I learned about during that year was when you face that kind of injuries, life sends you challenges and you have to step up to it," he told MLive.com in July. "It's a good way to learn. It (taught) me a lot about myself and life, too.”

A rod was to be inserted into Verrier's leg to help speed up the recovery process, for which there has been no timetable announced.

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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy

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