Simmons working toward return

BRAMPTON, Ont. – Stuart Simmons has been out of the Battalion lineup for a month, but it feels a lot longer to the overage defenceman.rrSimmons has missed 11 Ontario Hockey League games after suffering an injury to his right knee at the end of a fight Jan. 9 with Steve Spade of the visiting Belleville Bulls. He returned to practice with the Troops this week.rrIt feels like it’s been forever,” Simmons said Thursday. I’m happy to be back on the ice. It feels amazing. It’s a lot more fun than riding the bike.”rrThe Toronto resident said he’s planning on being back in action Feb. 17 when the Troops host the London Knights.rrUnfortunately I won’t be back this weekend, but right now the goal is to be back for London.”rrSimmons, who played 122 consecutive games from Oct. 27, 2002, to March 19, 2004, admitted that the first weeks after the injury were difficult.rrIt was tough, but once I got back on the bike and back in the gym I felt a little better. It was good to be back among the guys.rrIt’s never good to be injured, but it’s an awful feeling in your last year. Time is ticking away, and you’re stuck on the sidelines.”rrSimmons’s knee didn’t require surgery, and he credited a stringent rehabilitation program supervised by head trainer Brad Handley with getting him back on the ice ahead of schedule.rrI was supposed to be out a lot later. Brad took a lot of time with me and made sure I worked hard. I was really pushing myself, and there were a few other guys out at the same time as me, so we really pushed each other.”rrSimmons’s injury was the first in a series of setbacks that saw fellow blueliners Phil Oreskovic and Nick Duff head to the sidelines. Simmons said he was impressed with how well the remaining defencemen fared.rrThe guys did an amazing job, and I was wondering whether I’d be able to get into the lineup. Marty Lojek assumed a leadership role, and Michael Vernace did a great job offensively. Picking up Kyle Sonnenburg proved to be a really good thing. Everybody stepped up to help out.”rrSimmons, who has eight assists in 37 games, is happy to be returning in time for the stretch run. He said the team’s experience will be a valuable asset in its quest for top spot in the Eastern Conference.rrI’ve been around the league right now, and we have a really good core of guys who have been in the league for a while. We want to hang on to top spot in the conference, because we’ve been playing so well at home.”r