Teddy Blueger returned to the lineup after missing over three months with injuries.
Wednesday's victory was significant for multiple reasons. Not only did the Vancouver Canucks snap an 11-game losing streak, but Teddy Blueger also made his return from injury. The 31-year-old had missed the last three months with an injury, as his last game came on October 19 against the Washington Capitals.
Blueger played a significant role in Wednesday's 4-3 victory over the Capitals. He recorded four hits, three shots on goal, while also logging 18:24 of ice time. On Thursday, Blueger met with the media to discuss his performance and how good it felt to get back into the lineup.
"It was great," said Blueger. "I mean, I feel like, obviously, I was energized to get back. I'd been a while, so should have been well rested. But I think, you know, once you get the first couple shifts out of the way, then it's kind of, you just let the instinct take over and just kind of go from there."
Returning from an injury is never easy, especially when there is an extended layoff. For Blueger, though, he looked good in his return to action as his line, which featured Conor Garland and Liam Öhgren, was one of Vancouver's best trios on the night. For Blueger, getting back up to speed took some time, especially after not playing for the last three months.
"Actually pretty good. A lot better than I expected. I think that's probably the biggest thing I was worried about. Is just like not so much my injury, but I think more so haven't seen a lot of five-on-five the last three months. I think I went through one practice of five-on-five. So just five-on-five, the timing, the details, positioning, puck battles, different things like that. I think overall, I think it went pretty well. And, yeah, I felt better than I even hoped for."
As for post-game, Blueger was given the team's axe, which is handed out to the top player from the game. He received the axe from Garland and, as is tradition, gave a little speech to the group. For Blueger, this is the first time he was awarded the axe, making it an overall special moment.
"It was great. Nice gesture from Garr there. Yeah, that's a cool thing. You know, we didn't have that the last couple of years. So it's nice to be able to kind of have something like that, to pass around and recognize each other."
With Blueger's return a success, the focus shifted to how he felt in his first practice after a game. Returning to play is important, but so is how his body is feeling after the game. According to Blueger, he felt good after practice and is now focused on having a strong stretch ahead of the Olympic break.
Jan 21, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Teddy Blueger (53) returns to the Vancouver line up after a long absence due to injury as he skates in warm up prior to a game against the Washington Capitals at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images"Everything feels good. No issues really. So yeah, it's nice to be back to it and back in the mix with the guys. And obviously, I'd been around the group for a while and stuff. But I mean, it's a little different when you're not playing. So yeah, it felt great, especially, you know, getting the win was huge for us. And you know, hopefully we were able to kind of use that as a springboard going forward, and kind of get things going in a more positive direction."
Blueger adds important center depth that Vancouver has been missing all season. He can play a shutdown role and is one of the top penalty-killing forwards on the team. With Blueger scheduled to be a free agent this summer, a strong second half could secure him a long-term deal on July 1.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Hockey News