from Dana Wakiji of the Wings website,

Although it seemed that the All-Star break and bye came at a bad time for Athanasiou, perhaps it allowed him to completely heal before returning.

"Obviously, at the start I had to let the bone heal, so it was rest and do a little bit of treatment on it, a little ice, that's it," Athanasiou said. "And then I started skating and once it started feeling good and I felt that I had my step back, I felt comfortable playing."

Wings coach Jeff Blashill said Sunday that the style of skater that Athanasiou is, the more likely he'll be able to get up to speed quickly compared to others.

"I feel like anytime I've come back from injury, anytime anybody comes back from injury, it's a little bit of a tough start to go," Athanasiou said. "But for me, just skating being my style of game, it kind of helps me climb back in a little smoother."

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Below, watch Athanasiou and Blashill after the skate.