Samuel Girard back with Avalanche after a month in treatment
Dec 21, 2023, 11:37 AM
There was a nice sight at Colorado Avalanche morning skate on Thursday, as defenseman Samuel Girard is back with the team.
Girard had spent the last month in treatment for “severe anxiety and depression that [had] gone untreated for too long and led to alcohol abuse.” Girard received care from the Player Assistance Program of the NHLPA and NHL.
Welcome back, Sammy 👋 pic.twitter.com/CyN4vUQ4g7
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) December 21, 2023
Head coach Jared Bednar said Girard won’t play tonight and they’ll treat it like a player coming back from an injury and monitor his readiness moving forward.
Girard, 25, last played on Nov. 18 against the Dallas Stars before the initial news he’d be away came out on Nov 24. He has one goal and three assists on the season thus far.
It’s awesome to see Girard back on the ice and potentially ready to return to game action relatively soon. Hopefully he feels a lot better both mentally and physically and can put this tough yet courageous chapter behind him. It’s great he asked for help and received it.
In other news, defenseman Cale Makar was also present at morning skate and he could return after a three-game absence with a lower-body injury. Bednar wouldn’t totally commit to it, calling Makar a game-time decision.
Superstar Nathan MacKinnon wasn’t spotted, but Bednar said it was a maintenance day and he should play this evening.
The 19-11-2 Avalanche take on the Ottawa Senators at 7:00 p.m. at Ball Arena.
