POST-GAME: Sutter continues his comeback with first pro appearance in two years

EDMONTON, AB – It’s a feeling that centre Brandon Sutter had almost completely forgotten about.

But after two seasons away from professional hockey, the veteran of 770 regular-season NHL games was glad to have those butterflies back in his stomach – even for something as simple as the first pre-season game of the campaign.

Ultimately, the Edmonton Oilers would fall 2-1 in the shootout to the Winnipeg Jets, but Sunday’s exhibition defeat was a huge victory in his battle to return to full health and earn a contract with the Blue & Orange after recording five shots in 14 minutes of ice time and making a strong impression while playing on a line with Dylan Holloway and Mattias Janmark.

“I was actually a bit nervous for the game,” he said. “It's been a while, but I'm glad with how it went.”

“I've never been jittery before a pre-season game before, but it was good. Once I got out there for the warm-up, it just felt good to be out there. And my kids were here. My kids haven't seen me play in three years, and they're little, so they probably don't remember anything. It was kind of a special night for me.”

The situation isn’t as straightforward as Sunday’s exhibition match for the 34-year-old forward, who’s coming into Oilers Training Camp as a professional tryout who’s missed the last two full seasons of professional hockey with long COVID.

It’s a condition that’s characterized by horrible shortness of breath, which made his day-to-day dealings as a professional player almost untenable after last playing in a competitive contest 876 days ago on May 1, 2021 as a member of the Vancouver Canucks.

“I think I've been through a lot over the last two-and-a-half years and I'm going to be very conscious of my health and stuff like that, but it's been great so far. I really can't complain after a week,” he said. “I’m just taking it day by day trying to enjoy it and have some fun with it, too.

After building himself back to a position where he was comfortable attempting to play in the NHL again, Sutter is expected to get plenty of looks in the preseason on his PTO.

But Head Coach Jay Woodcroft is prepared to proceed cautiously and patiently with the centre.

“I think process-wise with him, we should expect him to play three of the first five exhibition games,” Woodcroft said. “I'm going to try and stay away from playing too many people back-to-back, so he won't be playing tomorrow.”

“That's kind of up to Woody to figure that out,” Sutter added. “I know we have eight pre-season games. I'm not sure what the schedule will be, but I'm just kind of taking a day at a time right now and focusing on tomorrow, then we'll go from there.”