from Aaron Portzline of The Athleric,

Patrik Laine shared fist bumps and big smiles with his Blue Jackets teammates on Monday when he joined them in Rogers Arena, his first practice in well over a month.

But Laine still is struggling.

The oblique injury that sidelined him in early November made for a touch-and-go first practice, but Laine did all of the drills and appeared to pull through just fine.

As for the grief caused by the death of his father, Harri, last month, Laine knows that will be a lifelong process for him and his family.

“He’s been my … No. 1 fan and supporter, always,” Laine said of his father. “Not that my mom and sister haven’t been, but hockey was kind of our thing, our passion. I definitely wouldn’t be here without him.

“He always watched my game, ever since I was a kid. He always wakes up at night to watch my games, so it’s definitely tough. I’m losing my best friend.”

continued (paid)