DULUTH - Atlanta Thrashers All-Star Dany Heatley passed another test in his comeback from injuries and tragedy: he didn't fall on his skates.
He took the ice Tuesday morning for the first time since the car wreck that killed teammate Dan Snyder, an incident that left Heatley with a broken jaw and two torn knee ligaments.
``He can still skate,'' Atlanta general manager Don Waddell quipped. ``I don't know what we all were looking for, but it was good for us to see him out there.''
He wasn't available after the 10-minute workout, but the team scheduled a news conference for Friday where he's expected to speak publicly for the first time since the crash Sept. 29.
After Snyder died from head injuries, Heatley was charged with vehicular homicide. Test results showed he consumed a very small amount of alcohol before the crash, with his blood alcohol content less than 0.015 percent, far below the state's legal limit of 0.08 percent.
Because Heatley wasn't drunk, and Snyder's relatives said they forgave him, prosecutors could decide the car crash was just an accident, with no need to pursue felony charges and sentences ranging from three to 15 years.
``That's not a concern of ours,'' Waddell said.
The Thrashers are more worried about Heatley's physical and mental condition. He skated by himself, under the watchful eyes of strength and conditioning coach Ray Bear and trainer Scott Green.
Waddell also came to watch, wandering out a few minutes before Heatley. About 100 fans turned out for the brief workout, and when Heatley appeared at a few minutes before 10:30, he got a rousing ovation.
Heatley wore a red practice sweater and no pads, with a yellow baseball cap covering his curly mop of hair. He deftly handled his stick, quickly skating to center ice and launching a slap shot into one net.
During the session, Heatley mostly skated end-to-end and gingerly changed directions. When he was done, he signed autographs for about five minutes before heading to the locker room.
Atlanta expects Heatley to return this season, but Waddell said a more definitive time table won't be set for another three or four weeks. At that time, Heatley might be ready to practice.
``This was just another step in his rehab process,'' Waddell said. ``Nothing's changed. It's had no bumps in the road along the way. His rehab is somewhat ahead of schedule.''
Judging from the reaction of the crowd, Heatley will be welcome.
``It's just so good to see him back out there,'' said Michael Clark, who brought his two young sons. ``We've seen Dany Heatley since he was a rookie, and we've always been impressed with how he treated fans, especially the children.
``He's a class act, and it's just a shame that he and the Snyder family had to go through something like this.''
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March 15th, 2025
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