Guentzel Rejoins Some Teammates on the Ice

Jake Guentzel stepped on the ice with a small group of teammates on Tuesday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, the next major step in a long rehab program that began with shoulder surgery on New Year's Eve. It's been a long haul.
But there he was joining an informal workout with Sidney Crosby and a few others, that - even while social distancing - gave him hope that a return to game action this summer is very possible.

"I'm not really sure what would have happened if the season had been played out (in normal time" Guentzel said on a video conference call with the Pittsburgh media Wednesday. "But if I can get rehabbed and feeling good, it'd be nice to get back playing. I'm just taking it day by day. We'll see where it goes."
The 25-year-old winger has been skating on his own for several weeks as part of an approved rehab process, but the NHL's decision to move into Phase II of its Return to Play program now provides a chance to be on the ice with teammates in small groups. Penguins players underwent physicals on Monday and hit the ice in packs of six starting Tuesday morning, with distancing protocols in place.
Players had not been on the ice together since early March, when the NHL and other sports leagues halted play because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"For us, it's nice to be back with guys, to see each other," Guentzel said. "It's been so long since we've seen each other, been on the ice with each other … it's just great for us to be back in the rink and be able to skate with some guys. Obviously, guys want to play hockey so we're all really excited to get going."

Guentzel had 43 points in 39 games and had literally just been named to the All-Star Game when his regular season ended with an awkward and violent crash into the boards on December 30 at PPG Paints Arena. The prognosis at the time was that he would miss four to six months, which, under normal circumstances, would have kept him out until deep into the playoffs.
"But if you look back on it and see the video … I'm pretty lucky more things didn't happen to me," Guentzel said. "It could have been a lot worse. … it was obviously accidental, just kind of a broken play … two guys hit skates and (I) just happened to be that close to the boards. I was pretty lucky it was just a shoulder."
The unexpected "pause" in the season, however, has given him a chance to return to skating with his teammates - and, possibly, for a return to game action.
"The first couple of months, I was able to rehab at the rink," Guentzel said. "During this pandemic, I had to adjust to my apartment and house. It was definitely different. Being back in Pittsburgh, it's nice to be able to go in and have a therapist work and do the little things I couldn't do if I was in my house. That's been a positive."
Guentzel also had high praise for the Penguins' medical partner, UPMC, not only for his own treatment, but for the care and protocols put into place to keep the players safe during this return period.
"UPMC has done a great job for us at the rink," he said. "They've kept us safe. (We've gone over) the protocols with our team and our athletic trainers. We're just doing all the guidelines right now, staying with the process they've set up for us. UPMC has done great with the two rinks. We don't see the other group or anything. It's been pretty cool so far."
Guentzel was asked about a possible reunion of the Crosby-Guentzel-Conor Sheary line that had so much success a few years ago, now that Sheary is back in the Penguins' fold. He appeared to be a fan of the concept.
"Obviously my first year we had a lot of fun playing together," he said. "It was kind of cool that 'Sid and the Kids' kind of got a little name going around. I've thought about it. It would be an awesome experience again. We really feed off each other, know each others' games. Hopefully we'll get some time to get that chemistry back … and in Phase 2, Phase 3 and the playoffs we can do that. Hopefully we can make another run for it."