FEATURE: Archibald's return

EDMONTON, AB - Josh Archibald didn't know if his recovery was going to be weeks, months, or even longer.
"When I went home, I thought it was going to be a long road and didn't know how long it was going to be," he said on Sunday.
But the forward was back on the ice with his Oilers teammates on Sunday for the first time since being diagnosed in October with myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, as a complication from contracting COVID-19 over the summer.
Being able to participate in his first full practice with the group was a much-welcomed return to normalcy for the 29-year-old after not knowing when, or even if, his chance to suit up again for the Oilers would come.
"I am very grateful to be back, and I'm excited to be here again," he said. "It was just one of those things where it was a week-by-week, month-by-month thing. But now that I'm back, I'm ready to play."

With the halt on physical activity early on in his recovery, Archibald took the extended time off to focus on his family, heal physically, and refresh himself mentally at home in Nebraska as he waited for the good news to come for when he would be allowed to begin training for an eventual return to Edmonton to rejoin the Oilers for a playoff push.
"It was almost a whole reset and a mind refresh," he said. "I took some time away and was a dad and a husband. When things started to turn around and good news started to come, the mind switched back.
"It was kind of one of those things where it went full bore from there, and I'm ready to be back and excited to be here."
Archibald's activity slowly ramped up in the gym and on the ice before he was cleared to return to Edmonton before rejoining his teammates on the ice at Rogers Place on Sunday.
"It was just kind of getting back into the swing of things slowly starting to work out, skating, and getting back at it," he said. "When I got to a point where they wanted me back here contributing, that's when I got back here as soon as possible to try and get back on the ice as soon as possible."
The approach for Head Coach Jay Woodcroft towards deciding when Archibald can return to the lineup will go on a day-to-day basis, but Sunday's full skate with the group was an excellent start.
"I think today was the first step in the process of getting Josh back involved in team practices," Woodcroft said. "We're at the early stages of getting him up and running. He skated on his own with [Skating Coach] David Pelletier to get him to this point. I think it was a positive sign that he was out there today in practice, and we'll take it one day at a time with him.
It may only be one full practice for Archibald so far, but he's comfortable with his health and his cardio that he could jump into the lineup immediately.

"I know I've only skated with the team today, but it's not like I haven't been doing things," he added. "I am in shape, and all my tests results coming back with the training staff show that I'm back where I was coming back in for training camp. My cardio and everything like that is where it needs to be to play in a game, and it's just a matter of getting the timing down.
"When management and coaches think I'm ready to play, I'll be ready to play."
Archibald has 19 goals and 15 assists in 114 games as a member of the Oilers since signing as a free agent with the club in July 2019 and developed an identity as a physical player who can contribute effectively on the penalty kill before his diagnosis.
"I'm hoping to come back and bring some energy," he said. "If I get out on the penalty kill and do my thing, I think that's what got me into this league. If I can come back and help the team in that way, I'll be more than happy to do that too, but I'm just looking forward to getting into a game, getting some bumps, and seeing where it takes us."