Duclair: 'I feel 100 percent'

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Anthony Duclair can't stop smiling.
After enduring months and months of grueling rehab following surgery to repair an Achilles tendon injury suffered in July, the Florida Panthers forward is expected to come off LTIR and make his long-awaited season debut against the Buffalo Sabres at FLA Live Arena on Friday.

"I'm very excited," Duclair said. "It's been a while. I've never been out long term like that. It's definitely been a grind. I've learned a lot and grew from it. There's a lot of emotions, especially this week. I feel back to where I was. I feel 100%. I feel great and I'm looking forward to it."
From the moment he began his rehab, Duclair knew his road to recovery would be a long one. But even though he couldn't be with his teammates on the ice, the Panthers made sure that he was still involved in as many off-ice activities as possible, including various team meetings.
Once he was able to hit the ice in a yellow no-contact jersey in January, Duclair also started to join the Panthers on their road trips. In addition to being able to get in more skates with his teammates, he also got a bird's-eye view of the team's new system from the press box.
Despite not playing in games, Duclair never truly left the team.
"It's a smoother transition for me to come in and not having to learn everything," said Duclair, who was also a fixture in the press box during home games. "I'm stepping in like any other player. It's going to be a little different, but learning the new system and stuff like that, that's why I wanted to sit in the press box during games. I wanted to get a different perspective of the game and see the tendencies of not only our team, but also the tendencies of opposing players and seeing how they're successful. Watching from up top has been very beneficial."
When asked about his long rehab, Duclair said didn't have many days off from the moment the process began. In addition to working with the staff at the Panthers and a personal trainer in Miami, he also flew in his personal trainer from back home in Montreal to help with everything.
But on the ice, he was often under the watchful eye of veteran Patric Hornqvist.
"His nickname is Coach Horny now," Duclair said of Hornqvist, who has been sidelined by an injury of his own since early December. "He's unbelievable. He's gotten me in probably the best shape of my life. I feel great. … What a great human being. He's such a great teammate."
Even when he wasn't on the ice or in the gym, Duclair didn't stop working. Turning a dream into a reality, he launched the Anthony Duclair Foundation in February in order to help children who have experienced racism and also bring the game of hockey to underserved communities.
Hitting the ground running, Duclair's foundation has already raised more than $200,000, including a $100,000 donation from the Florida Panthers Foundation and a $50,000 donation from the NHLPA.
"I wanted to take that time to grow from this, just learn about the body and a lot of different things," Duclair said. "I just took this time to reflect on hockey, reflect on life and a lot of things going on. For me, I just took it as a blessing and took it in a positive manner."
Shedding his no-contact jersey for the first during a morning skate on Feb. 13 in Minnesota, Duclair has spent recent practices reacclimating himself to the physical side of the game.
"Once a certain amount of healing got done, it became all mental," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. "He just had to go through enough practices where we feel confident that he's rested, that he's healed and that he's ready to go. Mentally, you have to feel like that to perform."
With his return on the horizon, Duclair has passed both the physical and mental tests.
"He worked hard and did everything we asked him to do," Maurice said with a smile. "He's pushed it now for a while. He's as close as you can be, but there's always nerves about getting back on the horse. He's skated hard and he's skated well. I think he gets into it 10 minutes into the game. The first period might be a little fast for him, but he'll catch up to speed real quick."
With 22 games left to play and the Panthers right in the thick of the wild-card race in the Eastern Conference, Duclair's return couldn't have come at a better time. Expected to provide the team with a boost both in terms of energy and offense, the 27-year-old forward scored a career-high 31 goals in 2021-22.
"You get a guy that comes in with elite speed," Maurice said. "There's something different about goal scorers in the way they practice, and he's got it. Every shot in every drill, he puts his mind to it. When he crosses the line on every rush, he's solely focused on scoring goals."
When he does step back onto the ice with the Panthers, Duclair plans to have many of the people that helped him during his rehab in attendance, including friends and family members.
Adding to the moment, Duclair's return will come on Black History Night at FLA Live Arena.
"It's a lot of emotions put into one," Duclair said of everything surrounding his impending return. "It's a big night. I do realize it's Black History Night as well. Honestly, the timing couldn't be more perfect. I feel amazing out there in all situations. I've just got to go out there and do my thing."
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