Anaheim Ducks: Spotted! Corey Perry on the Ice at Practice

After a pre-season knee injury sidelined Corey Perry for the foreseeable future, he was spotted yesterday practicing with the Anaheim Ducks.

It has been months since we’ve seen Corey Perry on the ice with the Anaheim Ducks. After being injured during the pre-season, surgery was performed on the 33-year-old forward to repair a tear in his MCL and meniscus. It was reported that he would be sidelined for up to five months.

Perry made a brief appearance at the Anaheim Ducks Face-Off Fest in October, an event held for their season ticket holders. He was seen sporting a knee brace and crutches as he drove around in a golf cart signing autographs for fans.

Aside from a few pictures of him here and there on the Anaheim Ducks social media sites, it was almost complete radio silence from the veteran winger. To be honest, I think he may have enjoyed his time out of the spotlight while he allowed his knee to heal.

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We’ve received small updates along the way, but it wasn’t until about a week ago that the fans finally got an update straight from the horse’s mouth in an interview with Dan Wood. Perry seemed optimistic and for the first time, he really opened up about his injury and the recovery process.

"“On one end, it’s a blessing in disguise, because you get to work on different things you normally don’t get to work on, and hopefully it is stronger.” -Corey Perry"

It wasn’t long after his interview that he started skating with Larry Barron, the skill and development coach for the Anaheim Ducks. It was the next step he needed to take to get him prepared for practice with his teammates.

Yesterday, he finally took that step and was spotted on the ice with the rest of the Anaheim Ducks in a red no-contact jersey. In an interview with Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register, Perry expressed his excitement but remained realistic about his recovery.

"“It’s been four months. It’s a work in progress. I have no expectations, just going out and doing the best I can. I knew what m day was going to be like. I woke up and had a smile on my face and did a lot of things. I’m probably going to crash (Tuesday) afternoon and get a good nap… It was a good day. I’ll take anything that’s positive right now.” -Corey Perry, Interview with the Orange County Register"

Seeing Perry sporting the red no-contact jersey doesn’t mean he will be playing in today’s game against the St. Louis Blues, but it’s a big step in his rehabilitation process.

Earlier last month, Chris Bushell used his physical therapy knowledge to give us insight into the process of Perry’s recovery. From the sound of it, it seems like Perry is right on schedule for a March 1st return date.

If that is the case, we could see him back for the Anaheim Ducks next home game against the Vegas Golden Knights. While there are only 18 games between March 1st and the end of the regular season, the good news is, Perry will be back in the fold before we know it.

Although I understand that expectations may be low for him after two seasons of decreased production, I wholeheartedly believe that he will come back better and stronger than ever.

I am a firm believer that Corey Perry is still good and I look forward to seeing him back on the ice with the Anaheim Ducks.