Lindholm (3 goals, 7 points in 17 games) was playing at a high level for the Bruins when he was injured.
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Hampus Lindholm felt more like a hockey player Wednesday.
The Bruins defenseman has been working his way back from a
lower-body injury suffered Nov. 12 in St. Louis with lots of off-ice rehab sessions and, lately, some solo on-ice workouts with skills coach
John McLean.
Lindholm took the next step Wednesday by donning a merlot (noncontact) sweater and joining the team for part of practice at Warrior Arena. In football parlance, he’d have been classified as a limited participant.
“It’s always nice to be out there with the guys, get a little laughter in, and shoot on some goalies, that’s always nice for change, so it was great to be out with the guys again,” Lindholm said.
Without getting too specific, Lindholm confirmed he broke a bone when he blocked a shot against the Blues.
“I’ll leave it at that. It hit me in the wrong spot,” he said, before adding, “Gotta drink some more milk.”
After absorbing the shot, Lindholm immediately left the ice before coming back to test the leg during a timeout and realizing it wasn’t something he could quickly shake off.
“I came back to try it; it didn’t really feel right. By now you know your body pretty well, so then get it checked,” he said. “So, it was obviously not the best news, but it’s fun to kind of feel like I’m starting to get closer to a return, hopefully.”
Lindholm, who also skated with McLean before the team work, won’t return for the Bruins’
next game, Saturday in Ottawa, according to
Joe Sacco.
“It was nice to see [him] get him involved with the group,” said the coach. “He was out there for the first three or four drills. Again, great sign, another step in his recovery, but there’s still no timeline yet on his return.”
After the initial disappointment of the injury subsided, Lindholm focused his energy on returning as quickly as possible.
“I think any pro athlete can say being on the sidelines is not something you want, but it’s part of the sport,” he said. “So, I just try to do everything I can to maximize [the rehab], so when I do get back, I’m as strong as [I can be] and hopefully learn something and be a better version of myself when I get back there playing on the ice.”
Lindholm even used his time at home to stay engaged in the game. And sometimes that didn’t sit well with his fiancée. Lindholm got down on one knee and proposed during the Christmas break.
“I just had some plastic ice and started stickhandling while the game was going on. She was yelling at me to lock the door, I was making too much noise,” he said. “But little things like that … I think getting injured is a way of reflecting on your own game and you try to find some way of getting better. Then when you come back, hopefully you’ve added something in, because being sidelined can have some benefits, and that’s how I try to approach it.”
Kastelic appreciative
Also sporting a merlot sweater was
Mark Kastelic, who was injured a week ago when
he took a cross-check to the chin from
Emil Lilleberg in Tampa. It preceded a fight between the two. Kastelic hit his head on the ice and left wobbly.
Kastelic, who said he’s been through the concussion protocol a couple of times before, was a bit surprised by Lilleberg’s actions.
Cole Koepke, who left Tuesday’s win after absorbing a
Darren Raddysh shoulder check to the head, did not practice
Charlie McAvoy, who was
placed on injured reserve Tuesday, skated before practice …