Krebs eager to return to Ice lineup

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This article was published 15/11/2019 (2370 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Peyton Krebs, the inspirational and offensive leader of the Winnipeg Ice, has returned to the Western Hockey League club after five months of injury rehab.

The 18-year-old centre and captain from Okotoks, Alta., suffered a partially torn Achilles tendon in his left foot during an on-ice training session in June and he surprised his Ice teammates Friday night in Seattle, flying in from Las Vegas to join them for an evening practice.

Winnipeg begins a five-game, eight-day road trip through the U.S. Division tonight in Everett, Wash. 

The Golden Knights, who chose Krebs with the 17th-overall pick of the 2019 NHL entry draft, have carefully monitored his recovery after surgery, allowing him to skate for the past month before clearing him to practise with the NHL team earlier this week.

He was then given the green light to return to the major-junior ranks, which should also coincide with an invitation to attend Canada’s world junior selection camp next month.

Krebs’ arrival should be a major boost to the fortunes of the Ice, which sat third in the WHL’s East Division with a 10-8-1-0 record entering Friday’s action. He had 19 goals and a team-leading 68 points in 64 games in 2018-19.

“He’s ready to play because all that work has been done in Vegas,” Ice general manager Matt Cockell said. 

Krebs would have debuted tonight in Everett, but he must first serve a one-game league suspension assessed following a checking-from-behind major he was handed in the Ice’s final regular-season home game in Cranbrook, B.C., on March 17.

The Ice beat the Red Deer Rebels 5-4 that night, but Krebs received a game misconduct. He’ll make his return to active duty on Sunday night in Portland, Ore., against the Winterhawks.

— Mike Sawatzky