John Locher/AP
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud (2) checks Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi (25) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023 | 2 a.m.
Related content
This is the first time Tim Whitecloud gets to be a part of the Golden Knights’ annual Fathers Trip.
The 2020 trip was canceled before it even began because of the pandemic. Travel restrictions for the 2021 and 2022 seasons did not call for it.
If not for Zach Whitecloud returning to the lineup after missing a month-and-a-half with a knee injury, it might have been four missed trips in a row.
“We haven’t been able to get one with my old man,” Whitecloud said.
The 26-year-old defenseman returned to the lineup Tuesday in Nashville after missing 21 games with a knee injury that was expected to keep him out month-to-month.
Because of the prompt return that was highly unexpected before the All-Star break, Tim Whitecloud finally gets to be with the rest of the dads on the trip.
But more importantly, Zach Whitecloud’s return means the Golden Knights have a healthy defense for the first time in nearly two months.
Whitecloud played 18:22 in his first game since Dec. 11, back at his usual post on the third pairing with Nicolas Hague.
“I feel good. Starting to get some normalcy back, not just hockey, but everyday life. Being able to do normal things,” Whitecloud said after practice Monday. “The past two, three weeks has been a gradual incline. It’s been a relief and some hard work, but at the end of the day it’s been nice to get back.”
After getting through the first two months nearly injury-free, ailments started piling up for the Golden Knights in December, notably on the blue line.
Two days prior to losing Whitecloud, defenseman Shea Theodore sustained a leg injury on Dec. 9 that labeled him week-to-week. While filling in for Theodore, top Henderson defenseman Daniil Miromanov suffered a lower-body injury that is expected to sideline him for at least another month.
The Golden Knights had to go deep into the Silver Knights’ pool for stopgaps, such as Henderson captain Brayden Pachal (two assists in nine games) and top prospect blue liner Kaedan Korczak (two assists in 10 games). Veteran defenseman Ben Hutton chipped in with two goals in 22 games he appeared in.
When Whitecloud went down, he was greeted with many texts from friends that said, “’oh, that’s gross’ and that sort of thing.’ I was like, ‘thanks, appreciate it, guys,’” Whitecloud said with a laugh.
“It didn’t look good, eh?” he added.
The way it looked was as his friends described. Whitecloud’s right leg bent outward after a collision with Boston Bruins forward Taylor Hall. Whitecloud spent the following month on a scooter with a brace on his right knee. He still sported that brace after practice Monday.
“I was lucky it wasn’t something more severe,” Whitecloud said. “I think that was the major positive out of the whole situation. It could’ve been way worse. That in itself helped me throughout the process.”
There wasn’t much negative to take away from the Golden Knights’ 5-1 win against the Predators, their first game out of the All-Star break. They got three goals from their makeshift third line of William Carrier, Chandler Stephenson and Phil Kessel, while holding the Predators to just 16 shots on goal.
Vegas (30-18-4) will try to win consecutive games for the first time since the turn of the calendar year today when they play the Wild (5 p.m., ATTSN-RM).
But the first game back for the usual third pairing was rough. The Golden Knights were out-attempted 22-4 at 5-on-5 when Whitecloud and Hague were on the ice, with nine of Nashville’s 16 shots on goal coming with them on the playing field.
The Golden Knights went into the break losing seven of eight (1-5-2). The offense dried up, but the overall defensive game took a hit, as well, with captain Mark Stone being out of the lineup indefinitely following back surgery.
With Whitecloud and Theodore back, coach Bruce Cassidy is expecting his defense group to push for offense going forward.
“They have to take a little more of the load,” Cassidy said. “Theo’s got a few games under his belt. It’ll take Whitey a little bit, but in general, that’s the experienced part of our team. There’s no newbies back there. I would hope they would be the drivers.”
Whitecloud missed 23 games last season due to various injuries, but said what he went through this time around was unlike anything he’s ever experienced.
Whitecloud showed flashes of a strong offensive game before going down, despite just six points in 31 games. With the Golden Knights in need of consistency on offense, expect Whitecloud to get more looks as he works his way back to game shape.
“Obviously, the young guys that we had come up did an incredible job. They fit in really well,” he said. “Any time you can get some of your guys back, it’s not just a boost for the team, but just for some energy overall.”
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
