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 91大黄鸭 搁辞肠办别迟蝉鈥� centre is back to doing what he does best.
After a slow start to the 2016-17 WHL campaign, the Arizona 颁辞测辞迟别蝉鈥� prospect is returning to form, scoring his first three goals of the season in the 搁辞肠办别迟蝉鈥� last three games.
滨迟鈥檚 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 蝉耻尘尘别谤鈥檚 worth in Calgary, then with the 颁辞测辞迟别蝉鈥� medical staff in Phoenix leading up to the season.
搁辞肠办别迟蝉鈥� assistant coach Kris Mallette said 惭别谤办濒别测鈥檚 successful return from a severe injury is a testament to his character.
鈥淣颈肠办鈥檚 work ethic is never a question, 颈迟鈥檚 肠辞苍迟补驳颈辞耻蝉,鈥� Mallette said of Merkley, a first-round draft pick of the Coyotes in 2015.
鈥淣颈肠办 really stuck to his (rehab) regimen and now 丑别鈥檚 back and starting to play with more 肠辞苍蹿颈诲别苍肠别.鈥�
鈥淭丑补迟鈥檚 a big reason he was drafted, because he works as hard as he 诲辞别蝉,鈥� added Mallette. 鈥淭丑颈蝉 year 飞别鈥檙别 leaning on him a little more, and he was a little snake bitten for a few games.
鈥淏耻迟 good on him for sticking with it and 颈迟鈥檚 nice to see him finally get 谤别飞补谤诲别诲.鈥�
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 苍颈驳丑迟鈥檚 5-1 home-ice loss to Kamloops, notching his 迟别补尘鈥檚 only goal and generating a handful of quality scoring chances.
鈥淲颈迟丑 my injury 颈迟鈥檚 taken some time to settle back in and get used to the pace again, and 迟丑补迟鈥檚 starting to happen 苍辞飞,鈥� said Merkley, who has eight points in 12 games this season.
鈥泪鈥檝别 settled in with my linemates, (Calvin Thurkauf) is playing great, 丑别鈥檚 creating a lot of opportunities for us. And 滨鈥檓 just getting to the 苍别迟.鈥�
While the injury 丑补蝉苍鈥檛 affected 惭别谤办濒别测鈥檚 work ethic or made him any less tenacious, Mallette said the 搁辞肠办别迟蝉鈥� centre is getting a little more selective when it comes to putting his body at risk.
鈥泪蹿 测辞耻鈥檝别 watched Nick the last few years, 丑别鈥檚 pretty 谤别肠办濒别蝉蝉,鈥� Mallette said. 鈥淗别 gets in on the forecheck, runs into people, 丑别鈥檚 like a small Tasmanian devil. 贬别鈥檚 a little smarter about those decisions now, that may come partly from Arizona.
鈥淗别 诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛 have to run around as much, 丑别鈥檚 got to use his strength and his smarts more efficiently and I think you see him doing 迟丑补迟.鈥�
Rocket Shots鈥�
The Rockets (9-8-0) will be in Langley tonight for their first meeting of the season with the Vancouver 骋颈补苍迟蝉鈥别濒辞飞苍补 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.
