Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf happy to be back with the team
He may not be playing right now, but Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Dion Phaneuf has rejoined his team-mates at the rink.
The Leafs’ captain has been out of action since he suffered a laceration to his leg after colliding with Peter Regin of the Ottawa Senators on 2 November.
“It's great to be back around the rink,” Phaneuf told reporters. “Back rehabbing and getting better.”
While Phaneuf still has somewhat of a limp as he walks, he is working hard to return to the Leafs’ line-up. By his own admission, Phaneuf says that the extent of his injury could have
been a lot worse.
“When you pull your pant leg up and you can see inside your leg, it’s not a very good feeling,” Phaneuf said.
After leaving the game on 2 November, which the Maple Leafs ended up losing 3-2, Phaneuf knew that his injury might be a serious one. However, he was not sure of just how serious it was
until the team’s medical staff had spoken to him.
“When you are sitting there on the trainer’s table and the orthopaedic surgeon says ‘We gotta go to the O.R.’ (operating room), you’re definitely wondering."
The 25-year-old native of Edmonton, Alberta says that his primary focus right now is to get back on the ice as soon as possible to help his team win more games.
“I’ve definitely gotten a lot better over the last couple of days,” Phaneuf said of his progress. “Getting off of the crutches was a big step. Once you start walking, it’s a big difference
after you’ve been off of your legs for a few weeks.”
While he has been making good progress thus far, Phaneuf does not know when he will return to the line-up. Head coach Ron Wilson says that the injured defenceman will not be rushed. However,
he was happy to have the captain back in the dressing room.
“He’s still quite a ways away, but he feels like he's a part of the team again. He’s just got to keep working hard, stay positive and try and speed up the healing process.”
The Leafs play their next game on Thursday 18 October, when they face the New Jersey Devils.
Tags: