Bryan Bickell is back with the Carolina Hurricanes, five months after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
After a huge 2013 playoffs when he helped lead the Chicago Blackhawks to their second Stanley Cup in three years, Bickell signed a lucrative extension, but his play mysteriously tailed off.
At one point he was diagnosed with vertigo, but his symptoms never seemed to clear up, and Bickell ended up bouncing between the Blackhawks and their AHL affiliate.
Finally, to get out from under his contract, Chicago sent Bickell and promising young forward Teuvo Teravainen to the Hurricanes in June 2016.
Bickell, 31, scored one goal in seven games for Carolina to start the season, but in November he was diagnosed with MS and stepped away from the game.
With the help of medication, Bickell began to work his way back, progressing from skating alone to scrimmaging.
Since February he has been playing for Charlotte in the AHL, where he has one goal and three assists in 10 games. The Hurricanes (35-29-14), who realistically don't have a shot at making the playoffs, recalled Bickell and Andrew Poturalski on Monday. Phil Di Giuseppe and Lucas Wallmark were reassigned to Charlotte.