Havlat Fans (original) (raw)

I got this from OttawaSenators community and I thought it would be good to have here. COME HAVLAT YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Havlat Sees Progress During Shoulder Rehab
by Todd Anderson, SCORE magazine

Martin Havlat's road to recovery hasn't been easy but the Senators forward remains in good spirits.

There have been hills to climb, and valleys to cross since the Nov. 29 game against the Montreal Canadiens when Havlat dislocated his right shoulder after being hit into the boards by Canadiens forward Michael Ryder.

Havlat is now back on the ice, rehabbing the injury under the guidance of strength and conditioning coach Randy Lee. The winger is slowly gaining more strength in the shoulder and he's excited to see some progress.

"It gets better every day," Havlat said during a break from a recent workout in the Senators conditioning room. "It's about small steps. It was slow in the beginning. I could do nothing (with the injured shoulder) for six weeks. This was major surgery. Now there are no restrictions."

Havlat has been working all along on his lower body to ensure he wouldn't lose a step in his skating ability. While there's still pain in the shoulder, being able to pass around the puck with Lee and take some light shots on goal has given him more motivation.

"Those six weeks were kind of boring," Havlat said. "There were no steps, no progress. Now I can see I'm getting better."

Lee said rehabbing injuries is all about setting goals and achieving milestones.

"You have to get past those landmarks. Marty worked on his legs and his core strength and his other shoulder. Next he was able to skate, without contact of course. Now he's been given permission (to work on the injured shoulder), just no contact yet."

Havlat is back on the ice practising with his teammates. After practice, he changes and goes through treatments with the Senators' athletic therapists. The offensively gifted forward also continues to do rehab and strengthening in the gym with Lee.

"To his credit, Marty has pushed things every day," Lee said. "You set a target in advance and you have to make every day count."

As has been the case with other injured Ottawa Senators players this season, coach Bryan Murray is willing to wait until his star winger is back to 100%.

"These guys have to tell you they're ready," he says.

For Havlat, there's a finish line in sight, and he plans to reach it.

"I'm just thinking playoffs," he says.