Vinny steps on ice, falls, saves his peach

This one you pretty much had to see to believe.

Lightning superstar Vinny Lecavalier came out of the locker room Thursday to take his first skate at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon in preparation for training camp, took one step onto the ice and fell flat on his face. Went down like someone had tripped him. Actually, he tripped himself. (We didn't get a picture of that, but we do have the one at the left of Lecavalier skating during his workout, though it kind of looks like he's falling.)

Anyway, back to the story. Lecavalier had forgotten to take the skate guard off his left skate, so when he hit the ice, he wasn't skating but immediately falling.

"As I started walking on the ice, I was ,like, 'Oh, no,' " Lecavalier said later in the locker room. "When I put my skates on, I saw them and said, 'Oh,' and took one off. And I started talking to somebody else. I forgot about my left one."

Like a true athlete, though, Lecavalier was able to keep hold of the peach he was eating in his right hand.

"I made sure," he said, "that peach didn't hit the ice."

On a more important note, Lecavalier met Wednesday with noted orthopedist James Andrews, who did the arthroscopic surgery on Lecavalier's right shoulder to repair a torn labrum. Lecavalier said Andrews is pleased with his progress, though he has not been cleared for contact.

Defenseman Paul Ranger, who also had surgery on his right shoulder by Andrews to fix a torn labrum, said he is in the same situation.

"I'm taking it step by step," Ranger said. "It's just a matter of strength and getting my confidence back."

Said Lecavalier: "I still have to build my strength, and there's still a range of motion I'd like to get. You want to get 100 percent range back and I'm going to get that day by day by playing here and reaching with my stick. That's still a little weak, but every time I go on the ice, that feels a lot better."

Lecavalier generally does not show up this early before camp, but said his rehab dictated he keep team trainer Tommy Mulligan up to speed.

"I wanted to be here and meet with Tommy and get back into the season routine," Lecavalier said. "I'm sure the team wants to get a look at me, too. I want to be here. I want to be with the guys."

Probably a good idea considering the roster turnover.

"It's great. It's fun," Lecavalier said. "Guys I played against for a long time, now I'm playing with them. It's exciting."

Others skating Thursday were goalies Mike Smith and Olaf Kolzig, forwards Mark Recchi and Chris Gratton and Ranger. Joining them were former Lightning players Brad Richards and Nolan Pratt.

Richards said he is "excited as hell" for next season. He said he enjoyed last season's playoff run with the Stars but not as much as if he had been part of the team for the entire season.

"Now I know why guys don't like being rental players," he said.

Comments

[Don in St. Pete]

Wow! I'm glad to see these guys here so early, getting on the ice and working out together. Thanks DC for another great report.

[Cookie]

Sounds like Vinny pulled a "Kirwan." That's exactly what Nigel did at a practice last year. Glad to know he's O.K. Will "save the peach" become the rallying cry???

[Now and then]

I should like to propose a trade with Dallas where the Lightning surrender Jokinen, Halpern and Smith for Brad Richards.

[Steve R]

N&T,

Great idea. Olie as your #1 could make for a long season.

[hockey chic]

Well my best buddy that plays travel hockey with me did the same thing and I am sure she will be glad to know if also happens to the big guys.

Now before we take the ice we all yell in unison hey did you take your skate buddies off?

After awhile walking around with them on you do forget they are on and hey it happens. Just glad to know it happens to the big guys as well. Welcome back vinny and others. Got to do the bolts locker room tour last night and it was weird seeing the ice taken down. Not the same feel for sure. I was just glad to be back in the building even if it was for a tour.

Lets get ready to play some Bolts hockey baby..
Go Bolts!!

[Glad He's Gone]

I should like to propose Now and Then head on over to Shands for an 'cephal-rectomy' where they can yank his head out of his gooloo.

[motts]

oh sure we so need that 7.8 million dollar shot in the britches again. the bleeding just got stanched and some of y'all want brad back? crazy, man, crazy.

[Don in St. Pete]

Can't wait til the season starts and our new version of the Bolts can prove all the naysayers wrong and vindicate the effort and money spent by the new owners and staff. Go Bolts!

[Nan]

More important than saving the peach, was saving the right shoulder. Glad to see that he and the peach were not injured.

[zeppelinshockey]

I Love seeing the bolts out there practicing in brandon, its a great environment to see the guys in. Glad to see Vinny ok and him and Brad hangin out as friends! I miss brad but I also think the trade will bennefit the bolts in the front office and on the ice. I wish Brad the best of luck this season!

[ajax]

Correct me if I am wrong (I usually am)
Halpern came over here and tore it up. Didn't even get to play on the PPlay with Vinny and Marty but had like 18 points in 19 games at about 2 mil per year. Basically played with the same bums that Brad just couldn't get it done with. And Brad hammered out 62 points for the entire year at 7.8 million, and some of you want Brad back. I guess the injury to Halpern is a convenient excuse. Oh yeah maybe reading between the lines what we really want back is Homer between the pipes instead of Smith. Stay off the hard stuff guys.
Let's see, ah, Richards and Homer or the comparible salaries of Helpern, Jokinen, Smith and Malone. Sorta makes ya juckle. One of the best decisions for the organization since, well let me see, since God talked to Moses.

[Amy]

As a Stars fan, I'd take the 3 of them back. I like Richards and am excited for what he will do this season... but Smith and Halpern were two of my favorites.

Best of luck to the Lightning this year. I'll be watching y'all (had to throw that in there) on Center Ice and cheering hard for Smitty.

[Not the Marlboro Man]

Anyone questioning V4's leadership now should really get a life. This guy wants to win a Cup in a bad way. Getting rid of Torts was huge for Vinny. Although I'm not sold on Melrose yet, its done allot of good for V4's and the team's over-all attitude...you can see it already. I think this team will struggle at first because they have too much youth and inexperience on defense, but after they get rolling a few games and find their identity, they will play some winning hockey. If Paul Ranger can play in that corrupted worthless system that Tortarella called defense, he should really be able to excel in a system that plays with some latitude of sensibility. As much as this team has struggled at the goalie position, I find it hard to believe that they will be as bad as they have been the past three seasons. Smith is by far much better than Graham, Denis and Holmqvist. Remember, the Bolts made the play-offs twice with poor quality goaltending and lousy defense. There is no reason why they shouldn't go at least into the second round with this group of players. Based on their forwards alone they should be able to win at least 35 games. If they don't go far this season I will really be stunned. I still think that with this management group they can pull off the sensible trades during the season to help this team out. Jay Feaster was only able to help this team with trades one time the whole time he was here. I believe Brian Lawton with his hockey knowledge, can pull off some real good quality trades when this team will need them most.

[Twinebulge]

"I should like to propose a trade with Dallas where the Lightning surrender Jokinen, Halpern and Smith for Brad Richards." --Now & Then

Sounds like a lot more Then than Now.

IMHO I think OK nailed that trade, but time will tell. There's still time for Brad to prove 03-04 wasn't just a fluke.

And, it makes you wonder--how did this Tortorella-led team ever win a Cup WITHOUT staunch defense as part of the mantra? Was it all Kubina being a shot-blocking machine? Sydor, Pratt, Lukowich and Sarich didn't get the job done in any big impressive way after 6/7/04, that's for sure.

I for one will be ecstatic about the announcement of the placing into the trash bin where it belongs the sign reading "Safe is Death." How shallow and hollow rings the subconscious message of that--"Go ahead, make the unsafe, unwise play." Big help to the D, that one...and if the motto was Safe is Death, why was everyone gripping their sticks on every power play as if they were hanging off a cliff, hesitating like terrified schoolchildren, trying to make the perfect and "safe" play.

I'm no pro hockey player but maybe, I dunno...."Safe is Smart".......????

[PD]

Safe is death = the last cup we see in a long while.
Does that really make you bitter,you sound like Torts hating Ajax

[Steve R]

Another story about the potential Bolts D-man in Ottawa

http://www.ottawasun.com/Sports/Hockey/2008/08/29/6603526-sun.html

[patrick]

lecaviler is a retard