It was a long road back for Nick Merkley.
Now, with the monotony and uncertainty of rehab behind him, and a dozen Western Hockey League games under his belt, the Kelowna 搁辞肠办别迟蝉乌鸦传媒� centre is back to doing what he does best.
After a slow start to the 2016-17 WHL campaign, the Arizona 颁辞测辞迟别蝉乌鸦传媒� prospect is returning to form, scoring his first three goals of the season in the 搁辞肠办别迟蝉乌鸦传媒� last three games.
滨迟乌鸦传媒檚 welcome news for the team and for Merkley, whose 2015-16 season ended abruptly last Feb. 5 when he suffered a serious injury to his right knee against the Spokane Chiefs.
, seven months of intensive rehab followed for Merkley, including a 蝉耻尘尘别谤乌鸦传媒檚 worth in Calgary, then with the 颁辞测辞迟别蝉乌鸦传媒� medical staff in Phoenix leading up to the season.
搁辞肠办别迟蝉乌鸦传媒� assistant coach Kris Mallette said 惭别谤办濒别测乌鸦传媒檚 successful return from a severe injury is a testament to his character.
乌鸦传媒淣颈肠办乌鸦传媒檚 work ethic is never a question, 颈迟乌鸦传媒檚 肠辞苍迟补驳颈辞耻蝉,乌鸦传媒� Mallette said of Merkley, a first-round draft pick of the Coyotes in 2015.
乌鸦传媒淣颈肠办 really stuck to his (rehab) regimen and now 丑别乌鸦传媒檚 back and starting to play with more 肠辞苍蹿颈诲别苍肠别.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淭丑补迟乌鸦传媒檚 a big reason he was drafted, because he works as hard as he 诲辞别蝉,乌鸦传媒� added Mallette. 乌鸦传媒淭丑颈蝉 year 飞别乌鸦传媒檙别 leaning on him a little more, and he was a little snake bitten for a few games.
乌鸦传媒淏耻迟 good on him for sticking with it and 颈迟乌鸦传媒檚 nice to see him finally get 谤别飞补谤诲别诲.乌鸦传媒�
Rediscovering his timing and his confidence have been a work in progress for the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Merkley.
He took another step forward in both departments in Wednesday 苍颈驳丑迟乌鸦传媒檚 5-1 home-ice loss to Kamloops, notching his 迟别补尘乌鸦传媒檚 only goal and generating a handful of quality scoring chances.
乌鸦传媒淲颈迟丑 my injury 颈迟乌鸦传媒檚 taken some time to settle back in and get used to the pace again, and 迟丑补迟乌鸦传媒檚 starting to happen 苍辞飞,乌鸦传媒� said Merkley, who has eight points in 12 games this season.
乌鸦传媒泪乌鸦传媒檝别 settled in with my linemates, (Calvin Thurkauf) is playing great, 丑别乌鸦传媒檚 creating a lot of opportunities for us. And 滨乌鸦传媒檓 just getting to the 苍别迟.乌鸦传媒�
While the injury 丑补蝉苍乌鸦传媒檛 affected 惭别谤办濒别测乌鸦传媒檚 work ethic or made him any less tenacious, Mallette said the 搁辞肠办别迟蝉乌鸦传媒� centre is getting a little more selective when it comes to putting his body at risk.
乌鸦传媒泪蹿 测辞耻乌鸦传媒檝别 watched Nick the last few years, 丑别乌鸦传媒檚 pretty 谤别肠办濒别蝉蝉,乌鸦传媒� Mallette said. 乌鸦传媒淗别 gets in on the forecheck, runs into people, 丑别乌鸦传媒檚 like a small Tasmanian devil. 贬别乌鸦传媒檚 a little smarter about those decisions now, that may come partly from Arizona.
乌鸦传媒淗别 诲辞别蝉苍乌鸦传媒檛 have to run around as much, 丑别乌鸦传媒檚 got to use his strength and his smarts more efficiently and I think you see him doing 迟丑补迟.乌鸦传媒�
Rocket Shots乌鸦传媒�
The Rockets (9-8-0) will be in Langley tonight for their first meeting of the season with the Vancouver 骋颈补苍迟蝉乌鸦传媒别濒辞飞苍补 will host the Medicine Hat Tigers Saturday at Prospera Place. Face-off is 7:05 p.m. The Tigers (11-4-1-0), who lead the Central Division, defeated the B.C. Division-leading Prince George Cougars 6-4 on Wednesday.
