Football
Associated Press 18y

Konowalchuk cleared for round 2

DENVER - Not that long ago, it looked like Steve Konowalchuk's season was over.

Then the Colorado Avalanche extended their season by sneaking into the playoffs and upsetting Dallas in the first round. Now Konowalchuk is back, too.

The 33-year-old forward - sidelined since November with a broken right wrist - returned to practice Wednesday. He was cleared to play in the Western Conference semifinals, where the Avs will face either San Jose or Anaheim.

"It feels like my first game - probably times 10 because we're in the second round of the playoffs," Konowalchuk said after skating at the team's workout facility in suburban Denver. "The wrist felt great. I'm ready to go."

The team's medical staff gave Konowalchuk the OK to return to the ice Tuesday, when his teammates got back from their 48-hour break after their quick elimination of the second-seeded Stars.

"Originally I was told the whole season," he said. "At best we would had to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals to get a chance. But with the training staff and the doctors and seeing the progress I made, I think they lightened up a little bit on their original plan. And here I am."

Konowalchuk's quicker-than-anticipated recovery and unexpected return provided an immense psychological boost for the Avs, who lost leading scorer Marek Svatos to a broken right shoulder last month.

Captain Joe Sakic compared it to picking up a top free agent out of the blue.

"He's so valuable not only on the ice but in the dressing room," Sakic said. "The way he plays, he plays hard, he's in front of the net creating havoc. It's huge for us to get him back at this time."

The Avalanche missed Konowalchuk's hard-nosed style for the final 61 games of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs.

"He brings a ton of grit. He plays a simple game, a hard game, one that is hard to play against. And that's what we need," defenseman Rob Blake said.

Konowalchuk was off to the best start of his 14-year NHL career with 15 points through 21 games when he got hurt Nov. 21. Doctors initially said the only way he'd be back before next season was if the Avalanche reached the Stanley Cup finals.

"We're very lucky that he's ahead of schedule and will be able to help us out," Sakic said after the workout, which coach Joel Quenneville missed to attend a funeral.

Konowalchuk's teammates had no idea that he was ready to return until they arrived at the practice facility Wednesday morning and saw him on the ice.

"That guy's just a machine," forward Ian Laperriere said. "All year, when he hurt himself he was right in the gym when he could, he was right on the ice when he could and he worked hard."

Watching Konowalchuk attack his rehab with the same ferocity he does the puck, nobody really should have been surprised by his early return, Laperriere said.

"He skated by himself for one, two hours, pushing himself," Laperriere said. "We all thought he was crazy, but he knew down deep that he had a chance to come back."

Konowalchuk said he was motivated during rehab by focusing on a possible playoff run.

"It wasn't really realistic as far as I was told," Konowalchuk said. "I had to have something to work for all year. There were a lot of hours skating by myself. (I) had to have something besides sitting on the couch and getting out of shape."

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