The Pittsburgh Penguins Welcome Back Caleb Jones
The Pittsburgh Penguins are experiencing a rare moment of near-full health as they welcome back one of their sidelined players, defenseman Caleb Jones. After suffering a lower-body injury from an awkward hit by Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand on October 25, Jones was placed on injured reserve, but he has recently taken encouraging steps toward recovery.
Jones’ Recovery Journey
On Friday, he participated in practice with his teammates for the first time during his rehabilitation, donning a white no-contact jersey.
“It’s been a process,” Jones remarked, noting that he had skated on his own before joining the team. “I think that was my ninth or tenth time on the ice, so it’s just fun to be back. I’m feeling a little better every day; just taking it a day at a time and focusing on getting back quickly.”
He further elaborated on the challenges of his lengthy recovery, stating that he had not previously faced such an extended absence from active play and that staying mentally focused has been crucial during this period.
“It’s been tough,” he admitted. “There were definitely some dark days, but I tried to reflect on my game and focus on mental improvements since physical activity was off the table for a while. I aimed to stay positive and tackle the rehab process head-on.”
Jones’ Career and Team Dynamics
At 28 years old, Jones had signed a two-year contract worth $1.8 million during the offseason and accumulated one assist in his first seven games of the season. The brother of Olympic defenseman Seth Jones, he was eager to re-establish his NHL presence with the Penguins and leveraged his skills to make a strong impression before his injury.
In addition to his progress, Jones spoke highly of rookie blueliner Harrison Brunicke, who recently returned to the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL. The two seemed to be building good chemistry on the ice prior to Jones’ injury.
“I thought ‘Bruno’ was doing really well, and I liked how we were connecting on the ice,” he remarked. “It was unfortunate that both of us faced setbacks at the same time.”
Looking Ahead
Furthermore, the Penguins made a roster move by sending Ville Koivunen to their AHL affiliate team, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, which leaves an open spot for Jones to be activated from injured reserve without necessitating further adjustments to the roster. While Jones does not yet have a definitive timeline for his return, he has set his sights on potentially being back for the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets next weekend.
Expressing no hard feelings towards Marchand, who he trained with over the summer, Jones lightheartedly stated,
“I’ll make sure Marchand gets me a bottle of wine or something”
after their on-ice incident. Penguins fans are eagerly anticipating Jones’ return and can stay updated on all team news and movements through their Google News tab.
