When the Edmonton Oilers take to the ice to open their season on Saturday night they will have Ethan Moreau in the lineup.
The captain was missing from practice on Thursday but skated with the rest of the team Friday and declared himself ready to go against the visiting Calgary Flames.
"I've started taking some antibiotics to deal with the infection in my ankle," said Moreau. "It was painful to put my skate on and skating hurt, but it feels much better today and I expect to be just fine tomorrow."
Moreau is playing left wing on a line with Sam Gagner in the middle and Zack Stortini on the right.
The fact he's on the fourth line doesn't diminish his importance or his role with the team. "Ethan's been there before and you know what you're going to get from him," explained head coach Pat Quinn.
"I know that he's not going to score 25 or 30 goals, but when something needs to be said or done Ethan knows what it is. I know a lot of captains are determined by how many points they get, but that's never been my position on the person who wears the ‘C.’"
Considering the Oilers are starting the season with a new head coach, new associate and assistant coach, new goaltender and a new system, the more known commodities, like Moreau, that are in the lineup against the Flames, the better for Quinn.
"It's like putting together a sauce, you throw in a little paprika, a little of this and a little of that and once you stir it all in you hope it turns out to be a good team."
Edmonton starts their season with a four-game homestand. After Calgary Saturday night they host Dallas on Tuesday then Calgary again on Thursday followed by Montreal next Saturday.
