Jani Hakanpaa is close to being a full participant in Leafs training camp.
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The 32-year-old defenseman has been absent from Toronto’s main camp since it began on Thursday as he continues to recover from a knee injury suffered last season with the Dallas Stars.
“He’s getting better. He’s actually doing well,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said on Saturday. “I talk to him daily about his situation and how he’s feeling and where he’s at. He’s getting better. I think it’s close. Hopefully next week he’ll be in the group there with us.”
#Leafs head coach Craig Berube says he has daily discussions with Jani Hakanpaa about how he’s feeling, adding that we could see him soon in training camp.
“He’s getting better and so I think it’s close. Hopefully next week he’ll be in the group there with us.”
— Nick Barden (@nickbarden) September 21, 2024
Whether Hakanpaa would sign with Toronto was up in the air for several months after reportedly agreeing to a contract in early July. It wasn’t until Sept. 11 that the defenseman signed a one-year, $1.470 million deal with the Maple Leafs.
“It feels good. It feels great. It’s one of the clubs with great history and all that, so I’m really excited to be a part of it,” Hakanpaa said at the Leafs and Legends Charity Golf Tournament on Monday how he’s feeling ahead of camp.
“[I’m] looking forward to being a Leaf and getting out there, playing with the guys, and I’ve been lucky enough to spend a few days here, meeting with the guys, and it seems like a really great group of guys.”
The defenseman hasn’t appeared in an NHL game since Mar. 16 when Dallas took on the L.A. Kings. It’s been a long and difficult road for Hakanpaa, but he always knew he’d be back playing after this knee injury.
“In my mind, it’s been clear that I’m going to get back. And the team I had around me back home in Finland had the same thoughts. I think that was the biggest key, to just have people around me that trusted as well,” Hakanpaa said.
“Obviously, it’s a little bit of a rollercoaster. There’s good days, bad days. But I think that underlying trust of, ‘It’s going to happen eventually,’ has always been there.”
Connor Dewar also took part in Saturday’s Group 3 of Maple Leafs training camp. The forward, who had offseason shoulder surgery, was wearing a red non-contact jersey alongside Hakanpaa.
Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving said on Wednesday that the forward is progressing, but that Dewar won’t be starting Maple Leafs training camp with the main groups.
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