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Vladimir Tarasenko Talks Return to Lineup Tonight for the St. Louis Blues
Vladimir Tarasenko is back in the lineup for the St. Louis Blues tonight and talked about how excited he is to return.
The St. Louis Blues have officially announced that winger Vladimir Tarasenko has been activated off LTIR and will be in the lineup for his season debut tonight. The forward called his layoff a long wait, one that was both eventful and trying, and thanked his doctors for their hard work. He’s excited to be back.
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Tarasenko has missed the entire season so far due to shoulder surgery and this will be his first regular season game in nearly 17 months. He says now he’s healthy, feels stronger and is ready to come back and step on the ice.
Tarasenko played a few games in the 2019-20 season, then was on the shelf with an injury. He played a few more games in the NHL bubble but had to have an additional surgery and has been out ever since. He noted that the support he’s received to get back has been incredible.
How Did Tarasenko Know He Was Ready?
Tarasenko said that he and the team had set the March 6th date as his return date and that he was grateful that things were organized and everyone was able to stick to the plan. He noted he would have loved to come back earlier, but is glad all sides were able to commit and make a solid timeline work.
He feels good, he feels ready and he’s hoping he can make an impact when he gets back in. He notes that the standings are tight and he doesn’t want to have a slow start, but just do the best he can and contribute.
He Missed The Game
Tarasenko talked about using the time off to spend with his kids and was greatly appreciative of it. He’s hoping the kids are interested in staying up to watch his first game back, should they choose to. And, as much as he was grateful for his time with them, he’s ready to come back.
He noted that he enjoyed learning how to reevaluate what’s important but also had a hard time often watching the team compete without him. He understands how lucky he is to have what he has, including a healthy family, so he’s not upset about missing so much time.
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