GRAND RAPIDS, MI – It wasn’t the ice, but it was one step closer for top prospect Anthony Mantha, who relocated over the weekend to Grand Rapids and watched his first Griffins practice Tuesday.

“It’s getting there,” Mantha said following the team’s first practice of the week. “I’m starting to learn how guys act around the ice and how they practice.

“I’ll probably see a few games before I maybe play in one, so I need to learn as much as I can, and learn how the coaches want the game to be played as well.”

The 20-year-old Mantha, the Detroit Red Wings' brightest prospect in years, has been sidelined with a fractured right tibia suffered Sept. 12 in the prospects tournament in Traverse City.

He was expected to be out six to eight weeks, and Monday marked five weeks. Mantha said he expects to have a CAT scan later this week to learn his next step in his return.

“It will depend on the CAT scan, but I really do hope that next week will be the green light,” he said about a return to the ice for light skating.

Ryan Martin, the Red Wings assistant general manager, said "even an optimistic view" would have Mantha four weeks away from playing.

"We will see how it (the CAT scan) goes," Martin said. "The best-case scenario is all looks good and he is cleared to ramp it up a bit and take the next step,"

That would be skating on his own and, if that progresses well, practicing with the team.

The 6-foot-5, 217-pound Mantha was the CHL's player of the year in 2013-14 after scoring 57 goals and putting up 120 points in 57 games and then adding 24 goals and 38 points in 24 playoff games for the Val d'Or Foruers of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Before the injury, there was an outside chance Mantha would make the Red Wings out of camp. But once injured, he was destined to start his season in Grand Rapids.

Mantha had been staying in a hotel in the Detroit area. Over the weekend, under

direction of the organization, he moved into a furnished apartment in Grand Rapids.

The Griffins, who played five of their first six games on the road, are home for four in a row beginning Friday against Lake Erie.

Griffins coach Jeff Blashill welcomed Mantha to Grand Rapids.

“He knows he’s going to start here so it gives him an opportunity to develop relationships with players here and start to feel comfortable in Grand Rapids,” he said. “He will get an idea of how we practice and know the drills right away and know the expectations and the systems so that when he can play – and I know that is a ways off – he can hit the ground running.”

Pete Wallner covers sports for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email him at pwallner@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.