Look who appeared at Lightning practice

by Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
January 2, 2017

BRANDON, Fla. – Seen Stamkos?

It’s a question plenty have been asking since Lightning captain Steven Stamkos underwent surgery in November to repair a partially torn meniscus in his right knee suffered during a game at Detroit on Nov. 15. The rehab process is expected to keep him out until at least March.

Stamkos has not addressed the media since undergoing the surgery, which is not exactly uncommon for an injured player. But it has led plenty to inquire as to how things were going and how he was doing.

Keep in mind, just because Stamkos has not been seen doesn’t mean things are going poorly. Injured players often are around the team and the locker room areas while getting treatment, even if they stay out of view of the public and the media.

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Still, it was a good sign to see Stamkos make a brief public appearance on Monday doing some work on a stationary bike at the Ice Sports Forum on Monday while the team practiced on the ice below.

But don’t get overly excited, nothing has changed on his time frame to return. He was just allowed to get off crutches he had used since undergoing the surgery after a follow-up visit last week. The road back to full health from this type of surgery is pretty straight forward as the meniscus requires time to properly heal and get the strength back. Not to mention the amount of muscle lost in the leg while being off his feet for six weeks.

He was walking around, however, and I had a chance to briefly speak to him, but it was not an on-the-record conversation so I won’t tell you exactly what he said, but in true Stamkos nature, his spirits remain high despite undergoing a third major injury since 2013 and facing another lengthy road to full recovery.

What else would we expect from Stamkos, though? He’s just that type of person and it was good to see him in high spirits.

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