Canucks' Boeser back from hand injury ahead of Wednesday season opener

Brock Boeser will start the season with the Vancouver Canucks after all.

The 25-year-old right-winger returned to full practice with his teammates Tuesday, just over two weeks after the Canucks announced he had undergone surgery for a hand injury suffered at training camp in Whistler, B.C.

At the time, the team said the forward would be out three to four weeks, but head coach Bruce Boudreau said Tuesday Boeser will be a "game-time decision" when the Canucks open their season against the Oilers in Edmonton on Wednesday.

"Obviously you don't want to be injured. I was looking so much forward to the pre-season and I was feeling good," Boeser said.

"It's hard not to let it affect you. But I tried to stay positive and did everything I could to get to this point to be able to play [on Wednesday]. So that's a plus and I'm looking forward to getting out there."

Expectations were high for Boeser coming into training camp.

He struggled at times last season, putting up 46 points in 71 games while dealing with the declining health of his father, Duke, who died in May following an extended battle with cancer and Parkinson's disease.

A restricted free agent, he inked a new three-year, $19.95-million US contract at the beginning of July and appeared poised for a big return this fall.

Then, on the final day of training camp, Boeser was hurt.

"It was kind of a weird fluky injury," he said. "I just had the puck, I was trying to cycle it to [J.T. Miller] and someone kind of hit my arm and wrist in a weird direction. I felt that snap or pop, whatever you want to say.

"It's pretty frustrating but I'm just glad that I can be back."

The injury was one the six-foot-one, 208-pound forward was familiar with, having had the same thing happen to his