Forward Has Scored Three Times In Five Games Since Returning


Tuesday, 12.28.2010 / 4:01 PM / Features
By Craig Stancher

T.J. Galiardi is just happy to be back and contributing after missing five-and-a-half weeks (17 games total) due to a fractured wrist suffered on Nov. 9 against Calgary.

It sure beats the alternative of watching the games on TV.

For a player with a personality as gregarious as Galiardi, being injured can be just as tough mentally as it is physically. You see, most injured players become somewhat separated from the team during their rehabilitation period. Sure, they are still around the rink when the team is practicing at home, but the sense of camaraderie and the amount of time spent with teammates in the locker room isn’t quite the same.

Known as a jokester who helps keep the locker room loose, Galiardi says not being on the ice every day with his team – his de facto family, if you will – can be rough.

“It’s kind of a lonely time to be honest,” said Galiardi. “It’s like a family. Once you get ripped away from it, you miss it for sure. Especially a guy like me. I like to chat a lot in the room and joke around with the guys. When you’re away from the team you don’t really have anyone to do that with.”

Galiardi’s injury coincided with a long Avalanche road trip in early December – one Galiardi was not able to be on because he wasn’t quite close enough to returning to game action.

“If you’re not able to play, for the majority of the time you don’t travel with the team. When I was out the team was on a 10-day road trip, so I missed that entire thing,” said Galiardi. “I stayed back here and skated with our strength coach, Robert McLean. You don’t really go around the team all that much because you don’t want to be a distraction if you’re not playing. But it just makes it all that much better when you finally get back.”

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