Patrick Sharp was understandably apprehensive entering the last offseason, when a hip surgery and a 4-6-month recovery loomed. But from the skating he’s done since the summer and the fitness tests he and the rest of the Blackhawks took on Thursday, Sharp is back to where he wants to be.
When the Blackhawks reacquired Sharp on July 1 he said he’d be ready to go come training camp, and he was when the Blackhawks convened at the United Center on Friday. Sharp was naturally concerned of how he would rebound coming off the surgery. But the 35-year-old, who played with Artem Anisimov and Ryan Hartman during Friday’s scrimmages, feels great.
And much like during his first stint with the Blackhawks, he scored strong on the fitness tests.
“I was up there. I’ve got a couple of years on these guys, so I use that as an excuse. And a surgery to fall back on,” Sharp said. “But I was really pleased with my results, how I feel on the ice, ready to go.”
Coach Joel Quenneville said Sharp hasn’t missed a step.
“He looks quick, he looks sharp, he looks ready and he looks like he’s hungry and happy to be here,” he said. “We’re looking for a great contribution from him. His jump and his quickness right off the first step looked like it was caught your eye.
Good first look
NHL
You take Day 1 of training camp for what it is: a chance to look at some combinations, most of which probably won’t be finalized until later. But Brandon Saad, Jonathan Toews and Richard Panik, the Blackhawks’ expected top liners, were together right away and had a pretty good first showing.
“We were racking up minuses today,” Toews said. “It was a tough first day. We had a lot of chances and for me as a center man a lot of time you’re coming into the O-zone with the defensemen, you literally just have to throw it off either wall and both those guys can skate. It’s fun to be out there with two players of Panner and Saader’s caliber. We had a lot of chances so tomorrow we’ll start putting them in and be a little bit better defensively too.”
Saad said it was just like old times. Sort of.
“I think being reunited with a guy you played with before helps a little bit but it's still going to take a little bit just to get used to everything,” he said. “But for the most part, I think it went pretty well today.
Briefly
Nick Schmaltz played alongside Patrick Kane on Friday. The two meshed well last season and, while it’s uncertain whether or not Schmaltz ends up on the second line or center another one, it’s always an option. “We’ve been skating a lot together, chemistry’s been pretty good,” Kane said of he and Schmaltz. “We were tired there in the first half but as the game went on started to make some plays, have some chemistry.”
Tommy Wingels, who suffered a hairline fracture in his foot in July, was fine in his first day at camp. “(The injury) forced me to change the way I train a little bit, just because I was limited in what I could do when I was in a walking boot, but in no way did it take away from my ability to prepare for the season,” he said. “I feel good out there. I feel healthy. I’ve been cleared to play. Mentally and physically, I feel like I can contribute from Day One and it was good start to camp today.”
Nathan Noel suffered an injury in the rookie tournament in Traverse City and will not be participating in the Blackhawks’ training camp, general manager Stan Bowman said on Friday. Bowman added that veteran defenseman Michal Rozsival did not pass his training-camp physical and is not yet cleared to practice.