Checking in with Zach Redmond

By Michael Caples –

EAST LANSING – When MiHockey asked Zach Redmond how his summer was going, he said it was a pretty typical one for a professional hockey player.

“Good, really good – pretty much your typical hockey summer, just working out and skating and some golf,” the Traverse City native said.

Yet that is music to the ears of hockey fans both in Michigan and beyond.

After Redmond, a defenseman with the Winnipeg Jets, sustained a lift-threatening leg injury during a practice in February, there were serious questions about whether he would ever be able to return to the ice.

Redmond’s femoral artery and vein in the back of Redmond’s leg was cut open by a teammate’s skate, yet just six weeks later, he was back on the ice.

The former Ferris State Bulldogs standout is skating at the Michigan State pro camp this week – he was invited by friends Jared Nightingale, Jim Slater and Bryan Lerg – and said his health is “great”.

Like any other hockey player, he’s just focused on getting ready for the upcoming season.

“Well it’s great to get a bunch of guys around this,” Redmond said of the MSU camp. “It’s tough to find ice in the summers and when you get something organized and coach is putting you through practice, it’s great preparation.”

Redmond signed a new one-year, two-way deal with the Jets on July 20. The former Bulldog said he was happy to sign a new contract, but knows he will have to prove he can still play at an elite level when the season begins.

“Yeah, it’s great,” Redmond said. “You know, at the end of the day, you just want to play for another year, and you know, I’ve got a lot to prove coming in. I’m excited for the opportunity.”