Two-time reigning New Jersey Devils team MVP Zach Parise was enthused after skating Thursday morning for the first time since October in his comeback from knee surgery.
"I was pretty happy," Parise said. "I still have to get stronger. We did tests [Tuesday] and I need to get my quads stronger. They weren't at the level they need to be.
"I held a stick and had a puck I was messing around with. For a hockey player, it would be more awkward balance-wise not to carry a stick."
Parise had cartilage repaired in his right knee Nov. 2 and was cleared to begin skating Tuesday. GM Lou Lamoriello said it would be a minimum of three weeks before he can join the team in practice.
Parise skated with injured Devils defenseman Matt Corrente Thursday under the supervision of the team's training staff.
"It was mostly technical stuff, slow turning, slow crossovers, getting the stride back, getting the motion and getting comfortable on the ice," Parise said. "It was mainly getting over the mental thing about what you can do. It was more mentally tough than anything."
Parise, 26, said he's "still a long way" from playing, adding that he needs to be 100 percent healthy to come back this season.
Parise has scored 146 goals over his previous four seasons, and has scored the most points for the Devils in each of the past three seasons. His return to the ice coincides with the Devils' 18-2-2 stretch that has brought them to within nine points of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Read more: New York Post
