NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Noah Danielson knocks over the puck pyramid to start pre-game skate ahead of the Tigers 5-2 loss to the Moose Jaw Warriors on Feb. 5.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Noah Danielson is excited to get back on the bus with his team and back on the ice.
The 19-year-old Medicine Hat Tigers forward has been out of the lineup since Feb. 16 with a lower-body injury and will make his return tonight when the Tigers head to Danielson’s hometown of Red Deer to battle the Rebels.
“I’m for sure itching to get back on the ice into a game setting,” Danielson said. “…It’s a hometown setting tomorrow night so I am really looking forward to it.”
The Red Deer product has 10 goals and 21 points in 39 games this season. While rehabbing his lower-body injury Danielson was always around the guys by watching the rest of the team practice while sitting on the bench.
Tigers associate coach Joe Frazer said it’s awesome to get Danielson back in the lineup.
“Especially playing in his hometown in front of friends and family, I know he is excited and he has done a lot of work in rehabbing. He looked good at practice all week,” Frazer said.
Danielson started the week donning a yellow no contact jersey before suiting up with a black full contact uni’ starting Wednesday. Frazer commended his forward for his effort in rehabbing the injury and getting back to the ice.
“…He put a lot of hard work, a lot of hours rehabbing so he could make it back for this game and it’s the last game in Red Deer this year,” Frazer said. “So to play in front of his friends and family I think it is pretty special for him.”
Danielson wasn’t the only Tiger going through injury at the time, as forward Brendan Lee and goaltender Beckett Langkow were rehabbing upper-body injuries and defenceman Daniel Baker suffered his season-ending injury six games later. Both Lee and now Danielson made returns to the lineup and Frazer said it’s important for young players to see how to rehab the right way.
“It’s a different level coming from midget to major junior, it’s a different approach. The mindset is we’re here to become pros,” Frazer said. “A lot of that is off-ice, how you handle and conduct yourself… having those older guys teach the younger guys that’s invaluable.”
When asked if he approached his rehab with the idea of setting a good example, Danielson agreed.
“The whole time I thought it was important for me to keep a positive mindset and with a little bit of negative and adversity that we faced. I think that was really important for us,” Danielson said. “I think it’s just trying to keep a positive mindset and keep the mood light in the room.”
Danielson lined up with Owen MacNeil and Carter Chorney in Thursday’s practice. He said the trio are close off the ice and they will make his return to the lineup “very easy.”
He’s joining a lineup that has been supplemented with Tigers prospects with the CSSHL season coming to a close. Prospects Tomas Mrsic, Shane Smith, Hunter St. Martin and Josh Van Mulligen were recalled by the club Sunday.
Frazer said for the prospects to draw into the lineup when the Tigers are in Red Deer Friday and host the Calgary Hitmen Saturday night at Co-op Place, it will give them experience they can use to develop in the summer.
“Just the experience to know exactly what you need to do over the summer to make sure you are ready for the fall,” Frazer said. “…Now that they’re in here they should spend a good amount of time here and know exactly what we need from them and what they need to do over the summer to make sure when training camp starts they are ready to go.”
