Wild Get Latendresse Back After 58-Game Absence
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Minnesota Wild left wing Guillaume Latendresse has returned after missing 58 games following injuries to his midsection that required two surgeries and a long rehabilitation.
Latendresse received a loud cheer from Wild fans when he first took the ice Tuesday night in the first period against the Colorado Avalanche on a line with Eric Nystrom and Brad Staubitz.
The Wild lost defenseman Marek Zidlicky in the second period when he blocked a shot and left the ice clutching his right hand, but he returned for the third period.
After scoring a team-best 25 goals in just 55 games for the Wild last season after arriving in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens, Latendresse needed operations in late November to fix a torn labrum in his hip and a bilateral sports hernia.
Latendresse had three goals and three assists in eight games before he got hurt.
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