Marian Hossa is alive. For Chicago Blackhawks fans who witnessed the brutal hit the forward took in the 2012 NHL Playoffs from Raffi Torres of the Phoenix Coyotes, even that much seems like a minor miracle. The hit earned Torres a 25-game suspension, one of the longest in league history, but Hossa definitely received the worse end of the deal.
The B-Hawks' forward has been very slow to recover from the devastating shot, but the latest report from team general manager Stan Bowman has Hossa making some progress.
Bowman believes Hossa should be ready to go for training camp.
"We’re sitting here in May, projecting out to training camp in September: I can’t predict it, but I’m very encouraged that he’ll be ready to participate by then," Bowman said. "He’ll get some rest here. I think he’ll be ready to go. He had a good (2011-12) season with that rest (last summer). We’re hoping this summer will provide that, too."
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, head over to Blackhawks blog Second City Hockey. And for more news and notes from around hockey, visit SB Nation's NHL news hub.