Svechnikov Skates For The First Time Since Knee Injury

RALEIGH, NC. -125 days after suffering a season-ending ACL injury, Andrei Svechnikov is back on the ice.

The Carolina Hurricanes' star forward was able to get back to on-ice work for the first time since March 11 Friday, skating at Invisalign Arena for roughly 30 minutes.

"I actually felt pretty good. Right when I stepped on the ice, I wasn't sure if it would feel worse than I thought it would or if I wouldn't be able to feel my leg, but I actually felt really good and felt confident with my knee," Svechnikov shared after. "It was actually pretty nice."

Unsurprisingly, the 23-year-old said that he wasn't nervous leading up to today.

Referencing a meniscus injury that kept him sidelined for five months during his teenage years, the NHL's Fastest Skater Competition winner said that he actually felt he was a better player when he returned from that obstacle because of all of the work he put in off the ice. So, that's the same thought process he's taking this time around.

"I've just been working on my body and working out a lot, but obviously I've been focusing on my knee during the rehab" he continued. "I've been trying to make my muscles (in my right leg) stronger than my left leg and so far it feels pretty good."

Svechnikov

spoke to the media at the end of May for season wrap-up interviews

, but since traveled back home to Russia for a few weeks.

Time with friends and family was beneficial to his road to recovery, especially given that his brother, Evgeny, suffered the same ACL injury earlier in his career.

"He just said don't rush it," the 2018 second overall selection said of the advice received from his sibling. "The biggest thing is building up the muscle in my right leg the right way."

While patience is the name of the game right now for Svechnikov, that was an incredibly difficult task to remain focused on two months ago.

Forced to watch the Canes' 2023 postseason run from afar, the All-Star said that the most challenging thing of the entire recovery process thus far was being unable to help his team during its quest for the Stanley Cup. Frustrated with how the 2022 playoffs went, and then unfit to get retribution this time around, he's already looking forward to both Opening Night and the club's 2024 run.

Whether he'll be ready for October 11 against the Ottawa Senators or not, well, that depends on who you ask.

"Right now, I want to be there. I think I'll be there," he said with a bit of a smirk.

Laughing when asked if the doctors have told him the same, he continued with, "We'll see. I'm living day-by-day and we'll see what happens."

The plan for the next few weeks is for Svechnikov to skate three times per week for about 30 minutes, with eventually the length of the sessions ramping up.

Working with both his doctor, Dr. Marty Isbell of Raleigh Orthopaedic, and the Canes' medical staff to determine that best route, the winger shares that he feels content with where things are at, at the moment.

"We have the best trainers in the world. Three times a week is what I usually skate during the summers anyways, to be honest," he ended with. "We'll see how the knee feels moving forward and then we'll add more work in."

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