Kraken’s Yanni Gourde practices without red no-contact jersey
Yanni Gourde was on the ice for the Seattle Kraken during Monday’s practice, but his red no-contact jersey was missing. Gourde donned a light blue sweater instead, saying afterward that he considered it a “half-contact” option.
The switch created a buzz at the Kraken Community Iceplex in Northgate, but Gourde said it “doesn’t mean much” and he’s not yet ready to play.
“I just need to just to get some more reps, and I think when I wear red, guys are super careful out there and you don’t do much, so I need to get a little bit more bumps in,” Gourde said. “It’s just a different color. We’re still working. It’s a work in process to get back in shape and get back ready to play, but we’re not there yet.”
On the opening day of training camp, general manager Ron Francis said Gourde’s recovery from a July shoulder surgery was “ahead of schedule,” and he could return to the lineup earlier than the previously projected December date.
Gourde, 29, projects as the Kraken’s No. 1 or No. 2 center. Seattle’s selection from the Lightning in the expansion draft, Gourde won the Stanley Cup twice during his time in Tampa Bay. He last played July 7 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.
While Seattle is certainly anxious to get him on the ice, head coach Dave Hakstol said he’s currently out indefinitely.
“Our medical group has a real specific plan for him,” Hakstol said. “He’s still on limited contact. He’s working real hard and (doing) everything that he can to be ready. But there’s a plan in place for him and he’s still on limited contact.”
Gourde said it was his idea to abandon the no-contact jersey on Monday.
“I kind of forced them,” he said. “I was like, if possible I need to get a little bit more bumps, and I know guys respect the red jersey too much. I asked them if I could possibly wear a different color. They said not white or dark blue. We’re going to take a step to baby blue first and then we’ll see.”
Gourde said he’s still not sure of his timeline, adding that he’ll speak to the team doctor again in a couple of weeks to see how his recovery is progressing.
“Half-contact is plenty for now,” Gourde said. “We’re making progress. We’re taking steps toward game-like situations. I’m filling in more five-on-five drills. I need to learn the system and be familiar with everything that’s going on. That’s why I’m trying to get as many reps as possible.”
Gourde said his shoulder feels looser than it did last spring. While he managed the pain over the past two seasons, he decided to undergo surgery after he had to have a cyst drained multiple times.
“At some point, you just got to get it fixed,” he said. “That’s when we went in and fixed everything.”
The Kraken will play their final preseason game at Vancouver on Tuesday before opening the regular season on the road against Vegas on Oct. 12.
This story was originally published October 4, 2021 at 2:36 PM.
