Clayton Keller considered himself lucky.
The Arizona Coyotes’ two-time All-Star had played 359 regular season NHL games without sustaining a serious injury, but that changed on March 30 when he fractured his leg after a scary collision with the end boards late in a game against the San Jose Sharks.
133 days later, the 24-year-old forward’s recovery is progressing nicely, and Keller said he fully expects to be back for training camp in September.
“I’m feeling really good,” Keller said after a recent skating session. “My skating’s starting to get really good, and I’m just excited to be healthy again, get back with the guys, and start the season.”
Keller was in the midst of a career year before the injury, having recorded 35 assists and a career-high 28 goals in 67 games. Those 63 points were just two shy of his personal best, which he recorded over 82 games in 2017-18, the same year he was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team while finishing third in Calder Trophy voting.
Fast-forward four years and Keller was on track to surpass those numbers. Even after missing the final 15 games of 2021-22, he led the Coyotes in both goals and points, while finishing fourth in assists.
Rather than getting discouraged about how last season ended, though, Keller is using it as motivation to come back stronger than ever.
“I play a dangerous game, and I’d been lucky not to get hurt, really ever,” he said. “It’s a part of the game, and a lot of guys get injured, and it’s how you bounce back. You hear guys say all the time: Injuries, it brings another level, and almost a new you.
“Hopefully I can be better than before.”
Keller said the injury, which required surgery, healed “pretty quickly,” but that was just the beginning of his journey back to the rink. The rehab and gym sessions that followed required patience as he continued to make slow-but-steady progress.
For someone that’s never experienced a major injury, it was a learning process.
“It’s crazy how fast you lose strength in the muscle just from not using it,” Keller said. “It’s just kind of a grind and getting the leg as strong as possible. Then you start to start skating, then it starts to feel better every time you step on the ice.”
He expects to be fully ready to go when training camp begins in September and hopes he can pick up right where he left off last season, where he fully embraced the new system implemented by head coach André Tourigny and his staff.
As the season wore on, Keller and his frequent linemates — Travis Boyd and Nick Schmaltz — stepped up, often giving opposing defenses all they could handle.
The trio’s 157 combined points accounted for nearly 30 percent of Arizona’s scoring last year.
“We weren’t winning a ton, but we were still in games,” Keller said. “The new coaching staff implemented their system and I think everyone bought into it, and I think they’re great guys to be around and great guys to work with.”
His leadership tendencies weren’t limited to gamedays, though.
Off the ice, Keller has been one of the biggest proponents of hockey in the desert. He took time during his recovery in early June to appear alongside Schmaltz and Christian Fischer at a Tempe City Council meeting, speaking to how much Coyotes hockey means to both himself and the community.
It wasn’t just lip service, either.
Keller experienced that support firsthand following his injury, and he never forgot how much his family, teammates, former teammates, coaches, former coaches, and fans helped lift him up during one of the most challenging moments of his career.
“It’s nice because when it happens, you’re a little down, and you find out who really cares about you and who wants to see you succeed and see you get better,” Keller said. “It was definitely nice to have that, and that cheered me up.”
Those well wishes, along with his hard work and dedication, have helped get him back to a point where he’s ready to compete again. Combine that with the moves the Coyotes made over the summer, and Keller is ready to tune out the noise and build upon his 2021-22 season.
“Obviously we have some players coming in — veteran guys — guys that have played on winning teams,” Keller said. “I think people can say whatever they want, but the only thing that matters is the guys in the room, and how we take [the challenge] head on.”
.