After nearly seven-and-a-half months, Sean Hill stepped onto the ice to play an NHL game. The butterflies he felt told him it was definitely worth the wait.
"I'm nervous before every game," Hill said. "But it's a good nervous."
The last time Hill had played was April 8, when he was with the New York Islanders. Since then he has served a 20-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance -- a ban he vigorously fought.
Ultimately, he had to sit. Nineteen of the games came this season with the Wild, with whom the Duluth native signed in July.
That Hill's Wild debut came in a highly anticipated rematch with the Vancouver Canucks is perhaps fitting, considering the 6-foot, 205-pound defenseman is known for his physical play. In 15-plus minutes Hill had a team-high five hits and was a plus-1.
"I felt good at times," he said. "Others times, not so good. [My] timing's off a little bit. It's going to take me a little time."
It is a difficult job, jumping into the action a month into the season.
"I've had injuries where I've missed several games, but not to this point," he said of his layoff. "I think it's going to be an adjustment. And then, any time you're with a new team it's an adjustment. I think it will be five games or so before I'm playing up to speed. But the sooner I start the process the better."
Hill was eligible to play in Sunday's game against Colorado, but he was scratched in large part because Keith Carney was playing so well. Wednesday, defenseman Kurtis Foster was scratched to make room for Hill in the lineup. Hill was paired with Nick Schultz.
Staying put
In the past three years, few minor leaguers have come up from Houston and made it difficult for Wild management to send them back.
Aaron Voros, who had goals in consecutive games heading into Wednesday, is trying to become one of the few. Six games in, he has made quite an impression on coach Jacques Lemaire, who scratched Matt Foy over him Wednesday.
"He's everything that we want, that we need especially," Lemaire said. "The work ethic he has, he's serious. It's good to have kids like that who come up and push the other guys for a spot. It's great. ... I think he's going to play."
Voros, 26, not officially a rookie because he's too old, said: "The best thing about it is I don't have to come up here and change the way I play at all. What I do, the way I play on the ice, that's the way I've played the game for my whole professional, college and junior career. It's nice when what you bring to the table is needed on an NHL team."
Etc.
• Left winger Pavol Demitra, who has missed 11 of the past 13 games because of a groin injury, participated in Wednesday's skate and plans to practice today.
• Winger/defenseman Petteri Nummelin left the game in the third period with what appeared to be a leg injury.
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