Zach Redmond has miraculously returned to the ice.
Less than two months after what looked like a possible career-ending injury, Redmond skated with some of his Winnipeg Jets teammates Friday.
After suffering a life threatening cut to his femoral artery in February, the Jets Zach Redmond is back on the ice for the first time.
— Shawn McKenzie (@ShawnMcKenzie89) April 5, 2013
“I didn’t expect to be back this quick but as the recovery goes on I get better and better news,” Redmond told the Winnipeg Free Press Friday morning.”They keeping pushing the deadline up. It’s awesome. It felt great to be out there.”
Redmond suffered a nasty injury in on Feb. 21 when he was cut by teammate Antti Miettinen’s skate and lacerated the femoral artery in the inside of his right leg.
Zach Redmond shows the media his scar, 6 weeks later. Amazing he’s back on the ice skating today. #NHLJets twitter.com/NHLJets/status…
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) April 5, 2013
Considering the severity of the injury, it was a shock that Redmond has been able to return to the ice so quickly.
“It’s nothing short of a miracle considering what’s he’s been through,” a Jets team physician Dr. Peter MacDonald said told the Free Press. “We’re all aware of what happened…. Considering the magnitude of the injury and the insult, not only to the leg but the whole body, it’s quite miraculous.
“Honestly we thought it was 50-50 that he’d every play again. To have that major insult to the body, he’s lucky to be alive first of all. You don’t even think about playing again at first. He’s amazed us all,” MacDonald explained. “It’s very high probability that he’ll be in training camp. He’s going to start skating now. We haven’t ruled out, if the Jets were to make the playoffs and go far, we haven’t even ruled out him playing this year.”
Some believe it is possible than Redmond could return to the Jets in time for next season’s training camp.
The 24-year-old was selected out of Ferris State in the seventh round (184th overall) by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2008 NHL Draft.
