Amerks' Mark Pysyk allowed to skate, but collapse still a mystery

• Mark Pysyk has resumed workouts and could return to games by March 20
• The third-year defenseman said doctors haven't found a cause for his Feb. 28 collapse
• It's possible that no definitive answer for the medical issue will be determined%2C he said

To know or not to know, Mark Pysyk says he isn't sure which is the better option.

He is, however, thankful to be back on the ice and on target to return to game action with the Rochester Americans — perhaps as early as next week.

Pysyk, 23, collapsed while playing three-on-three basketball with teammates on the morning of Feb. 28 and was transported by ambulance to Strong Memorial Hospital for observation and tests. He was released later that afternoon but testing continued.

He resumed workouts this week and skated with the team in drills on Wednesday, though he won't be allowed to participate in a full-contact practice until next week.

"It's been a long nine, 10 days, so it's good to finally get back on (the ice) and moving and sweating again," the third-year defenseman said.

He said he does not, however, know what caused the medical emergency. He has undergone a series of tests as doctors search for possible answers.

So what is more unnerving, knowing or not knowing?

"If you find the reason why, that would be scary," Pysyk said. "If you don't find the reason why, that's a little (worrisome) too, that you don't know what happened."

He said doctors have assured him that not knowing doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong. He said he was told this sort of incident can happen without warning, without a known cause and without a recurrence.

"Sometimes it just happens," he said doctors told him. "It could be just a freak accident. Things happen once and that could be the end of it."

He said that is how he will approach it. While there was some anxiety when he first resumed physical exercise, he said he's not concerned about a relapse.

"All the testing I've done since it happened, they didn't find anything," Pysyk said, "so there's nothing to really worry about now, I don't think.

"They did some tests on my head, on my heart. Everything seemed to be normal, so there's nothing to really be worried about there."

Pysyk, Buffalo's first-round draft pick in 2010, has played in 51 games for the Amerks and seven with the Sabres this season. He missed two games last week, and he won't play Friday at home against the Hamilton Bulldogs.

He will be allowed to participate in full-contact drills next week and could be ready for the March 20 game at Toronto, which kicks off a three-game weekend.

KEVINO@DemocratandChronicle.com

Twitter.com/@kevinoDandC