The wait will soon be over for Luke Schenn.
The Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman is sure to get a warm reception when he suits up for the club in from of Scotiabank Arena fans when his team hosts the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.
Schenn took part in his first full practice with the club since re-joining the Maple Leafs on Thursday, skating on a pair with Jack McCabe.
"I can't even put it into words, it's going to be crazy," Schenn said at the prospect of playing in front Maple Leafs fans in Toronto. "I don't know exactly what it's going to be like, but I'll put it this way, I'm pretty fired up for it."
The Maple Leafs acquired Schenn last month from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2023 third-round draft pick. The defenseman had suited up in two games for Toronto before staying in Vancouver as he waited out the birth of this third child, Romee, on Friday.
The return on Friday will bring things full circle for Schenn, who's as drafted by the Maple Leafs with their first-round pick (fifth overall) in the 2008 NHL Draft.
"It's very clear to me from my first conversation with him just how important and special it is for him to come back here," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Schenn. "It's felt like (for him) that there's some unfinished business here and he's come back as a much different person. A grown man as opposed to a young kid that is trying to take it all in."
Although Schenn was paired with McCabe, Maple Leafs Keefe cautioned not to read into the defensive pairings too much. Toronto's plan is to deploy seven defensemen against the Hurricanes on Friday before reverting back to a traditional six defensemen on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators.
"Luke can kind of play with anyone, but with lefty-righty it just kind of worked," Keefe said of the practice formation.
Schenn averaged 11:26 in two games with the Maple Leafs this season. Given that he hasn’t played since Mar. 4, the player is going to draw on his previous experience of not being an everyday option in the lineup during his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He served as the team's seventh defensive option for the team's 2021 and 2022 Stanley Cup runs.
Schenn averaged 17:11 in ice time in 55 games with the Canucks this season. It's unlikely he'll replicate that number with Toronto as they find their right mix.
"The experience I've had is going help me and benefit me to be in a good position to help the team."
But whatever ends up being the case for Schenn, he's just really happy to be back and the smile hasn't left his face since the trade occurred on Feb. 28.
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