BLOG: Seabrook Returns to Ice During Voluntary Practice

Brent Seabrook is back on the ice with his Blackhawks teammates.

Following a trio of surgeries on his right shoulder (Dec. 27), left hip (January) and right hip (Feb. 6), the defenseman took the ice for voluntary practice on Thursday, a major step in his quest to make a return when NHL play begins on Aug. 1.

RETURN TO PLAY

**GALLERY**: Seabrook, Quenneville Join Voluntary Skates

**FEATURE**: Why Blackhawks-Oilers Could be Best of Qualifying Round Slate

**NEWS**: NHL, NHLPA Reach Agreement on Return to Play, CBA

"He's a warrior," Senior Vice President/General Manager Stan Bowman **NEWS**: NHL, NHLPA Reach Agreement on Return to Play, CBA. "He never complained once with the stuff he was dealing with. When he finally took a step back and looked at what he's been playing through for a long time, some of these injuries have been there for several years, but he was the type of guy who never wanted to talk about it, just put your head down and keep playing. I think he deserves a lot of credit or admiration of the way he's handled it. He's a real character player. He's been a big part of this team."

Following Seabrook's final surgery on February 6, Blackhawks team physician Dr. Michael Terry **NEWS**: NHL, NHLPA Reach Agreement on Return to Play, CBA, ending his 15th NHL season after just 32 games. With the four-month pause in play, it opened the door for Seabrook to re-join the team in time for the Qualifying Round matchup against the Oilers, though both Bowman and head coach Jeremy Colliton cautioned they will have to see how quickly he's able to get up to game speed during training camp. Even Thursday, he could be seen wearing a white non-contact helmet on the ice at Fifth Third Arena.

With Calvin de Haan joining voluntary skates last week after shoulder surgery of his own in late December, the Blackhawks blue line could get a major boost if one or both are able to make a full return.

"It's so exciting," defenseman **NEWS**: NHL, NHLPA Reach Agreement on Return to Play, CBA said of the possibility last month. "To see what guys go through during the season with injuries and how much hard work they put in to trying to get back -- even when they knew at the time that they weren't going to have much of a chance to come back during the standard regular season if it would've ended at the start of April, how much work they still put in even ... with this opportunity to get playing again and have those guys back in the mix is just so fun and I'm sure they're really excited and we're excited for them."