CHICAGO -- Trevor van Riemsdyk doesn’t know if he's physically able to play for the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville has no idea either.
But both said Friday that they’re keeping the option open. Van Riemsdyk was recalled from the AHL on Friday and participated in his first practice since undergoing wrist surgery in April.
Coincidentally, Quenneville and van Riemsdyk both began their answers with “we’ll see,” on whether van Riemsdyk could play.
“We’ll see,” van Riemsdyk said. “I don’t look too far down the road. I’m just kind of step by step. It feels good to be back on the premises again, being around and skating out there. It was fun [practicing], but I’m just going to take it day by day, see how everything responds and go from there.”
Quenneville had a similar response.
“We’ll see,” Quenneville said. “The timeline to get him on the ice was his first day today. He’s been ready. He’s cleared to participate. He was out there doing one-on-one drills. We’ll see how he is."
Van Riemsdyk’s first professional season has been a rollercoaster. He was the surprise of Blackhawks training camp and earned an NHL roster spot. But just as his role was expanding and his minutes were increasing, he fractured his left patella blocking a shot during a game Nov. 16 and had to have surgery.
Van Riemsdyk began skating again in February and joined the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, on Feb. 25. He played eight games for the IceHogs and suffered a left wrist injury, although it's unknown when he was hurt. It as determined he needed surgery on his wrist as well, and he was given an eight-week timetable to return. Van Riemsdyk's last game for the IceHogs was on March 28, and he had surgery on April 7.
“It’s definitely not fun,” van Riemsdyk said of the second injury. “I was making my way back there, just kind of making my way through that, shaking off the rust there, then this happens. Again, that’s how hockey is. That’s what we signed up for. It’s a physical sport and stuff like this happens. Unfortunately, it’s happened a little too frequently than I would have liked these last few months, but that’s how it goes. Hopefully I get all of this out of my system and go from there.”
Van Riemsdyk practiced with 12 other players at the United Center on Friday and went through an assortment of drills. He said he felt some stiffness in his wrist, but he hasn’t felt much pain. Going forward, he said he needed to see more of that to be comfortable with playing in a game.
“Just kind of listening to my body,” van Riemsdyk said. “You know, I want to be out there more than anything and skating with the team and stuff, but if it hurts it hurts and pushing through it’s going to be nothing but a setback and keep you away further. So, yeah, it’s tough to be like, ‘Yeah, does that hurt?’ or ignore it, but you’ve just got to be honest with yourself. Going out there hurt or lying to the staff or whatever is going to do nothing but hurt you. It’s not going to get you anywhere.”
Quenneville is also taking the same mentality. He knows it’s unrealistic for van Riemsdyk to play against the Anaheim Ducks in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday.
“Today is first day, so I don’t anticipate him being in tomorrow,” Quenneville said. “He’ll need a few days out here, and we’ll see, get an evaluation and go from there.”
The Blackhawks have struggled to replace Michal Rozsival, who fractured his ankle on May 7 and is out for the season. Rozsival was averaging 17:26 of ice time. In Game 2 against the Ducks on Thursday, Blackhawks defensemen Kimmo Timonen and Kyle Cumiskey combined for 15:41 of ice time.
