Nov. 12--It was a year ago Tuesday that Steven Stamkos' hockey career was put into peril.
The Tampa Bay Lightning winger, one of the NHL's brightest stars, suffered a gruesome broken leg during a game against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 11, 2013 and was taken off the ice on a stretcher. On the anniversary of the injury. Stamkos is set to take the ice against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center and is back among the top players in the league.
Entering Tuesday's game, Stamkos was tied for third in the NHL with 10 goals and also had six assists to help the Lightning to a sparkling 11-3-1 record.
"It's been a pretty long year," Stamkos said after the Lightning's morning skate. "It's been nice to get off to a good start as a team this year and I feel like I'm just getting better and better every time I get on the ice. It's nice to know the hard work is paying off.
"I still don't think I'm at the level that I was before. It's going to take some time. I don't know if the leg will ever feel the same as it did before. It's night and day than where I was last year after coming back. At certain points throughout your rehab you never know if it's ever going to feel the same or as good as it's going to get so you can get back to that level. But it has and that's why it's been exciting to come back and play this year."
Stamkos will face Hawks goaltender Corey Crawford in the Lightning's only regular-season appearance in Chicago. Ben Bishop will start in goal for the Lightning.
