WINNIPEG — Winnipeg Jets rookie forward Patrik Laine is back in the fast laine.
Laine, 18, took another big step in his recovery, wearing a non-contact jersey in his first full practice back with the team.
“It was nice to go out there with the team,” Laine said. “And just getting back in shape and feeling pretty good.”
“There’s no extra skate after today,” said head coach Paul Maurice. “And then he comes back in tomorrow and if he’s right where he left off and felt good then we would start to push the heart rate a little bit and kinda gradually work up from there.”
It’s now been almost two weeks since Laine suffered his first concussion and his memory of the hit is still a little bit fuzzy.
“I got the puck and that’s it,” said Laine. “I can’t remember anything else, so that’s all.”
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Laine said he’s now symptom free and the headaches subsided just a couple days ago, but he wasn’t feeling very well in the days following his head injury.
“Maybe not so good,” Laine said. “It wasn’t a good feeling but that kinda stuff happens and hope that I won’t get hit like that again.”
“Just the headaches and I was kinda tired all the time. Just focusing was kinda hard.”
The next step in his recovery will be a full contact practice but the Jets will play it cautious and won’t rush him back into the lineup.
“He’s absolutely not getting back into a game until he’s at 100 per cent and clear,” Maurice said.
The Jets, minus Laine, will continue their four game homestand on Saturday against the St. Louis Blues with puck drop scheduled for 2 p.m. at MTS Centre.
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