Feeling Grateful, Lauko Returns to Practice

BOSTON – Jakub Lauko has a new perspective on things.

Roughly two weeks ago, the feisty winger nearly had his hockey career ended when the skate of Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson came millimeters away from cutting his eye during a freak play along the boards in Chicago.

Fortunately, the blade did not do any lasting physical damage, though it caused a gnarly cut to the right of the 23-year-old’s left eye and left him with several orbital fractures. The immediate aftermath of the incident also left Lauko in a state of shock and panic.

“I kind of saw the skate coming, something, I didn’t know what was there. I realized it was a skate,” said Lauko, who eye was swollen shut for some time after the cut. “First thing that happened is my eye went pitch black. My first reaction was that I lost the eye, so I kind of went into panic mode. I was shaking…even in the locker room, the trainers told me, ‘it missed the eye, it missed the eye,’ but I was in shock kind of.

“It was hard to get through the emotion because it’s one of your senses and I think the most important one…to be honest, I started crying in the trainers’ room because there was a lot of emotion around. I’ve said a few times now, I’m very, very grateful that it missed the eye by millimeters.”

Lauko returned to practice on Wednesday at Warrior Ice Arena donning a maroon non-contact jersey as well as some new equipment: a full cage on his helmet and a neck guard, the latter of which the winger now feels compelled to wear following the tragic death of former NHLer Adam Johnson, whose neck was cut by a skate blade during a game in England just four days after Lauko was cut against Chicago.

“It just changes your view on hockey…what happened [a few] days after with Adam in England, it’s horrible. It’s a reminder of how fast and how dangerous the sport is. I’m just grateful that I can be here after two weeks,” said Lauko.

“After the experience with the eye and what happened in England, it’s too much of a risk. When you can put something on the neck, it’s always better. It’s the most vulnerable spot for us on the body.

“I’m gonna start wearing neck guard, wrist guards too. I’m just trying to add some layer of protection in those places that are vulnerable. It’s always better to be ready than sorry. I’ll wear a neck guard for, I think, the rest of my career.”

Lauko said he will need to wear the cage on his helmet for at least a few more weeks, which will be an adjustment as he continues to work his way back to game action. Coach Jim Montgomery added that Lauko is just beginning his rehab process and is “definitely out” for Thursday’s game against the Islanders and “we’ll see how he progresses from there.”

“I’ve been skating for a couple days now,” said Lauko. “I don’t know if trip is the right word but when you’re moving around quickly with the cage it’s a little bit weird. It’s just about adjustment. It takes a couple practices, maybe a week. I’ll get used to it.”

Wait, There’s More

• Morgan Geekie did not participate in Wednesday’s practice and is considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury, per Montgomery.
• Derek Forbort, who has missed the last three games with injury, is “getting closer” to a return and is “questionable” for Thursday’s game against the Islanders.