Michael Leighton skates for the Flyers
On Saturday, Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton took to the ice for the first time since he underwent back surgery on 11 October of this year. Leighton, who led the Flyers
to the Stanley Cup finals last season, signed a two-year contract with the team in July. It was expected that Leighton would compete with Brian Boucher to be the Flyers number one goaltender.
The 29-year-old goalie skated at the Flyers practice facility in Voorhees, New Jersey. After Saturday’s skate Leighton reported: “The back feels good. The main problem before the surgery
was I had a weakness in my foot, and that’s something that in time will go away. That’s still there, but the back, overall the back felt great. It was a very light skate, just skated around, did some movements – not much, but it was nice to get out there,
put my gear on and skate around a little bit.”
Leighton’s surgery was performed to repair a herniated disk in his back. Leighton was injured in last season’s playoffs, but he kept the injury quiet going into training camp. Prior to
the surgery, Leighton had this to say; “I first felt it in playoffs last year. I gave it time to settle down, and obviously it was injured and it never really went away. So when I was working out in the summer and doing activities it was flaring up a little
bit, but nothing to the point where it is now.”
Leighton is expecting to be cleared for practice in approximately two weeks.
Since Leighton’s surgery, the Flyers signed undrafted rookie goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Bobrovsky has captured the starting job and has posted a record of 5-2. Brian Boucher, in the final
year of his contract with the Flyers, is the backup for the 22-year-old Russian goalkeeper.
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