TOLEDO, Ohio — The Walleye have veteran forward TJ Hensick in camp right now on a tryout agreement.
Hensick wanted to make sure he could still play at a high enough level to return. He turns 36 in December and hasn't played a game in almost a year and a half.
In his career, he’s played in over 100 NHL games. He’s also played in more than 650 AHL games.
Dan Watson has said that he hopes Hensick will sign a contract before the season begins, but he wants to give him the time he needs to decide.
“It’s a family culture here and the organization has been tremendous to me since I joined them,” said Hensick. “Excited to be on the ice for sure, but you still want to see if you can play. You don’t want to just be a guy who is on the ice. You want to help contribute and be a factor at least if you’re going to play. It’s a day at a time, a lot of communication with (Dan Watson). I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
“He wants to see how he feels,” said Walleye Head Coach Dan Watson. “It’s obviously a long layoff for an older guy. He wants to make sure that he can still dominate at this level. He’s skated for a couple months before training camp so he’s in good shape. He’s looked really, really good in camp so far. Our hopes are next week, when we have to hand our rosters in, he’s signing a contract.”