Jakub Lauko skated in a non-contact jersey, cage and neck guard during the Boston Bruins' practice on Wednesday at Warrior Ice Arena.
Jakub Lauko’s return to the ice on Wednesday felt a bit more surreal for the Boston Bruins forward than coming back from any other injury.
In the wake of the tragic passing of former NHLer Adam Johnson, 29, whose throat was cut by a skate blade during a Nottingham Panthers game in England on Oct. 28, Lauko understands just how lucky he is to rejoin his team.
“Just grateful that I can be here after two weeks,” Lauko said following Wednesday’s practice. “I was very fortunate in an unfortunate situation.”
Lauko suffered fractures around his left eye socket after he was caught up high by Chicago Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson’s skate while he was down by the boards during the 3-0 win on Oct. 24.
The winger said the skate blade was “millimeters” away from making contact with his eye.
“First thing when it happened, just like my eye went pitch black so my first reaction was I lost the eye, so I kind of went into panic mode,” Lauko said. “After they sewed it together, I’m gonna be honest, I started crying in the trainer’s room because it was a lot of emotion around.”
Lauko skated in a non-contact jersey, cage and neck guard on Wednesday at Warrior Ice Arena, and Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said the 23-year-old will be out for Thursday’s matchup against the New York Islanders as he just begins his process of getting game ready.
The neck guard conversation has gained much traction around not only the NHL, but hockey as a whole since Johnson’s horrific collision, and Lauko has made the decision to sport the extra protection.
“It just kind of like changes your view at hockey and everything – what happened two days after with Adam in England. It’s horrible and it’s kind of a reminder of how fast and dangerous this sport is,” Lauko said. “It’s always better to be ready than sorry, so I’ll wear the neck guard I think for the rest of my career.”
Lauko’s left eye was closed for close to a week, he said, as the fractures around it healed, and he’ll be wearing a cage to ensure a full recovery.
“It was two weeks battling with multiple fractures around your eye sockets, so it’s the reason why I’m going to wear a cage for a couple more weeks or a few more weeks,” Lauko said. “It’s just about adjustment, takes a couple practices maybe a week and I’ll get used to it.”
To start the season, Lauko was skating on the fourth line with Milan Lucic and Johnny Beecher. With Lucic also sidelined due to a lower-body injury, wingers Danton Heinen and Providence (AHL) call-up Oskar Steen have filled in. Lauko’s exact timeline is unclear, but his return to skating in just two weeks is a major positive not just for the individual, but the entire team.
Lauko will potentially be the first player to wear a neck guard during a game for the Bruins as more and more prominent players around the league – like T.J. Oshie, Erik Karlsson and Rasmus Dahlin – have also made the decision to add the extra layer of equipment. For now, it’s up to the athlete.
“After this experience, this experience with the eye and after what happened in England, I’m just like it’s too much of a risk,” Lauko said.