630 CHED Sports
5/1/2012
If things had gone well for Taylor Fedun, he might currently be looking back on his rookie season with the Oilers. Instead, he's talking about the months he spent recovering from a broken leg. Fedun was hurt September 30 in Minnesota, when the Wild's Eric Nystrom took him down on an icing call.
"One of the doctors described it as less of a break and more of an explosion," Fedun said. "There were a lot of different fragments and one big piece that broke off and needed to be surgically put back together."
Fedun, 23, was able to start practicing with the Oilers late in the regular season, though he was around the players at other times during his recovery. He says that helped him keep a positive attitude. "If I got a chance to be around the guys, and I was just self-pitying the whole time and not working hard, I figured that would be a negative way to contribute to the team," he explained. "At least if I was able to stay positive and work hard, although I couldn't actually contribute on the ice, I could try to be a positive person to be around off the ice."
Fedun will take part in the Oilers development camp this summer. He believes he make the Oilers in the fall. "I don't see why not. If I didn't go into camp believing that, I'd be selling myself short," he said. "At the beginning of last year, I'd never played any professionally games either. By preparing hard throughout the summer, I put myself in a position where I was on the fence or getting that last look. I don't see why I can't be in that position again." (jrw)
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