WINNIPEG – Darren Helm’s timing has been a bit off the past two years as he recovered from injury after injury, but the St. Andrews product couldn’t have timed his return to the Red Wings’ lineup any better.
Just days before Detroit’s first game in Winnipeg in 17 years, Helm made a triumphant return to the ice, scoring a goal in Edmonton Saturday on just his second shift back.
“It was just kind of a relief to know that I can get out there and my body was healthy,” said Helm. “Playing again was fun. I’ve been waiting a long time for that.”
Helm won the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in his rookie season but the 26-year-old has had a string of bad luck since.
It started with getting his forearm gashed with a skate in the 2012 playoffs. Helm needed surgery to repair lacerated tendons. A back injury then forced him to miss all but one game last season and a tender groin delayed his start to this year.
Helm admits there were a few moments when he questioned whether he’d ever get back.
“There was some mental challenges I had to face,” said Helm. “A couple of days of doubt that I thought maybe I wouldn’t make it back.”
It’s not just Helm who’s happy to be back in the lineup. His teammate are glad to finally have the forward in the mix once again.
“It’s a nice piece to have,” said Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg. “He’s a big part of our team and unfortunately he’s been injured for almost two years.”
Detroit head coach Mike Babcock warned though that it’ll probably be a few months before Helm gets his game back in shape.
“Anytime you’re injured, it takes away what you love,” said Babcock. “It’s hard for you. We really missed Helm. We think he’s a real good player in the league.”
Before the bright lights of the NHL, Helm played midget hockey as a 15-year-old for the now defunct Winnipeg Hawks. His old coach Jerry Caputo said the qualities you see in Helm’s game today are similar to what they were then when Helm was playing against kids two years older than him.
“He was very quiet but a team player,” said Caputo. “The word I use most about him was relentless. He never stopped skating on the ice.”
It’s the same reason the Red Wings love Helm and why he had a spot waiting for him when he finally got healthy.
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