After missing 65 games, agitator Burish returns
It overwhelms Adam Burish when he looks back on all he has missed with the Blackhawks this season.
"The day I had surgery was the day we left for Europe so it's been a heck of a long time," Burish said.
Pending a final OK from doctors, Burish will return to the Hawks' lineup Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Kings at the United Center for the first time since ripping the ACL in his knee in the second game of the preseason almost six months ago.
"You look at it now and you maybe think it went by pretty fast, but then you think every day was kind of hard," Burish said. "It's a struggle every day. Mentally, it's just hard. You wake up every day knowing I can't play today or I can't practice today, or I have to go and watch a game.
"It (stinks) to sit and it (stinks) to drive to the rink at 6:30 at night and you see all the people going in and you can't play. Now you get closer and you kind of forget it a little and get back to being excited and how you want to play and what you can bring to the table."
For 65 games the Hawks' biggest agitator and emotional player had to watch his teammates get ready for important games without him.
Burish was helpless to do anything the night in October when Jonathan Toews got blindsided by Vancouver defenseman Willie Mitchell or when Atlanta's Colby Armstrong ran over Marian Hossa last month.
"I would have loved to have been apart of that and kind of make a statement," Burish said. "Now that I am kind of back in it here, if it happens again you'll probably see a little different reaction from our team. I'm sure you'll see the dummy me run out there and chase someone down.
"I hope it doesn't happen again, but part of me too, I hope I'm right there when it does happen if it does again so I can chase someone down and have a little fun."
The Hawks have missed Burish's edge, the energy he plays with, and the spark he provides the team. The fourth line hasn't been the same factor it was in games last year without him.
"You can always use that type of flavor in your lineup," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "Certainly his speed is one ingredient that really jumps out and is useful in today's game.
"That line, usually that's their niche, to get under people's skin and get on the puck quickly and have some momentum shifts by getting in their end. They scored some big goals for us last year. I think he can really add some pace to the lineup, and when he gets in there he can really make a difference."
Burish has been itching to play since before the Olympic break, but the significance of his knee injury forced the Hawks to take it slowly with him.
"I've been antsy at times," Burish said. "I was going to go out and skate with the rat hockey league with the old men at 6:30 in the morning a few times and I had to talk myself down and say, 'Get a grip here, slow down, you don't need to go out there and do something stupid.'"