John Tavares won't need surgery after Islanders star suffers partially torn MCL ...

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John Tavares will not be available to help the Islanders anymore this season, but at least he'll be able to avoid going under the knife.

The Islanders captain addressed the media on Tuesday for the first time since suffering a left knee injury that knocked him out of the Olympics before Team Canada took gold at Sochi. Though he is frustrated he'll miss the remainder of the NHL season, Tavares says his partially torn MCL and meniscus will not require surgery and that his rehab is expected to begin within eight to 12 weeks.

'I got good news yesterday when I saw the team doctors; there's no surgery,' Tavares said. 'I won't need surgery and basically the meniscus issue isn't really as much of an issue as initially thought. Basically it's just a bad MCL tear, not a complete tear, but pretty close. I'm just going to have to take my time to make sure I get healthy and do all the things that will get me back to where I need to be.'

The injury occurred in the second period of Canada's quarterfinal matchup with Latvia, when defenseman Arturs Kulda checked Tavares awkwardly into the boards. Though he was able to skate to the bench under his own power, Tavares did not return to the game or the Olympic tournament.

Tavares says he has some idea of what to expect after suffering the same injury when he was 16 and trying out for Canada's under-18 team.

'I remember not being able to do a whole lot, especially at the beginning, so it's certainly going to be an adjustment,' he said. 'I had a really good response the first time around, my first time back from that injury. So I'm hoping to come back even better and stronger. I've got a ton of time to work on that.'

The Tavares injury has added fuel to the ongoing debate of whether or not NHL players should continue to play in the Olympics. Islanders general manager Garth Snow was publically outraged last week, asking if the IIHF or IOC were 'going to reimburse our season ticketholders now?' While Tavares will now likely be labeled as reason why NHL players shouldn't continue to play in the Games, the Isles captain says he wouldn't have changed a thing.

'For me as a player, I think it's important for us to play. I think you saw how much we love representing our countries, especially at that level.But if (we) put ourselves in (Snow's) shoes, you can understand their concern about their players and injuries,' Tavares said. 'There's always that concern, but with this game there's always that risk any time you step on the ice, the possibility of injury. It's obviously a tough situation, but I certainly loved playing for my country. If I got the call again, I would (go).'

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