Olofsson Scores Twice as Golden Knights Crush Avalanche 8-4
Unfortunately, the celebration paused after the forward suffered an ankle injury against Washington on Oct. 15, putting him out of the game for nearly two months. Olofsson spent his rehabilitation time skating individually and working with the Henderson Silver Knights under a conditioning loan while the Golden Knights were on a road trip, according to Yahoo Sports.
Despite regaining strength and the OK to return to the ice, his return game on Dec. 1 against the Utah Hockey Club had a rough start. He barely had time to settle into the game before getting a tripping penalty and heading to the box. But that did not stop Olofsson from expressing his relief and positivity for his comeback.
When asked how he felt after his long-awaited return, Olofsson said, “It’s never fun to be injured and work on the sideline. […] It feels good to be back,” according to the Las Vegas Sun. Despite initial timing issues, he felt good enough to play 16:54 minutes alongside teammates William Karlsson and Brett Howden.
Center Jack Eichel, who’s gone through a similar recovery process before, watched Olofsson’s performance with appreciation. “We lost him early, and it’s not an easy injury to deal with,” says Eichel, according to the Las Vegas Sun. However, after a few games, Eichel anticipates Olofsson will regain full pace.
The Golden Knights have other players out with injuries. While Mark Stone will return soon, they’re short on defense with Zach Whitecloud and Ben Hutton still out.