Pearson practices with team, talks recovery

During Sunday’s practice, Tanner Pearson skated with the full group for the first time since suffering a broken fibula in his lower left leg during a shootout loss to Winnipeg on January 10 after he collided awkwardly with the boards in a battle with the Jets’ Jay Harrison. Though Pearson resumed skating on his own earlier this month and had already joined the Kings on the ice after practices had officially concluded, Sunday’s skate represented the first time he got some work in with the full group.

“It felt pretty good,” Pearson said. “They had a couple in and outs and felt good to be on the ice again. It’s been a long road and hopefully we’ll get it going here soon, but I still have to get back into that game shape-type of stuff.”

Pearson was mostly an observer during rush-type drills, though he cycled through several rotations as he completed another important step towards his return. The fracture of his fibula – which occurred in his ankle and required surgery – is expected to take three-plus months to heal, so he’s on this trip to practice, work out and further his conditioning. The Kings are hopeful that he could rejoin the team before the end of the regular season.

“I think with me doing my right [leg] in 2012 helped it a lot,” Pearson said. His 2012 fibula fracture, which occurred in the final period of the Barrie Colts’ regular season, did not require surgery. He also broke a wrist during the final major midget game of his 15-year-old season, according to this report from the Waterloo Record.

“You knew what to expect and you knew the process of it. The only thing that was different was [the fibula break occurred on] the last game of the season, so I had all summer to kind of let it heal to where it is right now. Now we’re getting back to playing as soon as possible. It’s been a bit different, but the bone is healing fine. So it’s just a bit more to go.”

“I think this is a week where we really ramp it up and I want to start practicing right away. So hopefully in the near future I’ll be back on the ice full-time.”

Tanner Pearson, on whether he dealt with pain or discomfort with his skates on:
No, it’s not bad. It’s actually come a really long way from the first time I put it on, but obviously as the bone has gotten better, the comfort level has gotten better, too. It’s a bit different with the plate there, but with a pad on my ankle I don’t really feel too much.

Pearson, on whether there is a message from the coaching staff as he nears a return:
No, I don’t think I’ve really talked to them a whole lot through the whole process. You keep your nose down, obviously. Kinger (Head Athletic Trainer Chris Kingsley) updates them every week with a report. I think as I get closer to back playing, things will ramp up, start conditioning with Payner a lot. I’m just trying to get back in the groove of things right now.

Pearson, on whether he knew he suffered a fracture right away:
No, when I did my old one, my right one, I felt that one crack. So I knew that was broken right away. I thought my foot was sideways. No, this one I didn’t realize until I tried to skate on it and the give-ness of it and the numbness of it, I was like, ‘OK, it’s gone.’

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