For the first time since a morning skate Feb. 13 in Arizona, goalie Corey Crawford joined the Blackhawks at practice. The nine-month gap was the longest Crawford, who previously confirmed he suffered a concussion last season, had been separated from the team.
‘‘It was good,’’ Crawford said of being back on the ice with his teammates. ‘‘I was able to get a few shots, and I felt pretty good for the first time. We’ll just go from there, but it was a good start.’’
It was another positive step in Crawford’s recovery, but it’s clear he won’t be ready to play in time for the Hawks’ season opener Thursday in Ottawa. Cam Ward likely will start in goal against the Senators.
‘‘I’m still not 100 percent clear,’’ said Crawford, who wouldn’t disclose what symptoms he’s still dealing with. ‘‘But it’s almost there. We’re pretty close.’’
While his return date is still unclear, Crawford is in a better spot now than he was when the Hawks opened camp Sept. 14.
During the hourlong practice — his longest on-ice workout yet — Crawford took shots from his teammates and participated in breakaway drills. There were no restrictions on Crawford, coach Joel Quenneville said, but captain Jonathan Toews hinted players knew to take it easy on him and to shoot low.
‘‘As long as you know it’s him in the net, you’re going down there,’’ Toews said. ‘‘I’m sure it doesn’t matter to him. He wants [you] to give it your best shot.’’
Crawford will travel with the Hawks to Ottawa and St. Louis for their first two games of the season, but Quenneville advised fans not to read too much into that.
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‘‘We need him getting on the ice,’’ Quenneville said. ‘‘He hasn’t seen pucks for a long time, so that’ll kind of dictate to us [when Crawford will be game-ready]. He’ll tell us by how he’s practicing on a consistent basis when he’s ready. We hope that it’s soon.’’
Quenneville said he didn’t think a brief stint with Rockford was out of the question, but Crawford made it clear he has no intentions of going there.
‘‘Ahh . . . I don’t know,’’ Crawford said. ‘‘I think I’m pretty good.’’
If anyone can relate to what Crawford is going through, it’s Toews. In 2012, Toews missed significant time with a concussion and feared how the injury would affect his future health.
Toews said he and other teammates have offered Crawford support.
‘‘It’s nice to hear that feedback, especially when your teammates know you’re doing everything you can to get back into the game [and] you’re not holding out on them for no reason at all,’’ Toews said. ‘‘We all let Crow know that he can feel confident in himself that he’s doing the right thing and to take his time.
‘‘[His future health] was part of his mindset the whole way. His health — anybody’s health — is No. 1, especially with that type of injury. He’s done a good job with that. So I’m pretty sure he’s confident that if he’s going to take a step forward, if he’s going to start taking shots in practice or he’s going to get back into a game, he’s going to feel comfortable and confident in what he’s doing.’’
