griffins

Andreas Athanasiou gets some space during his first game back with the Griffins in Friday's game against Rochester.

(Hugh Carey | MLive.com)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The Grand Rapids Griffins didn't waste any time getting Andreas Athanasiou back in the lineup.

The center, sidelined since Dec. 13 with a broken jaw, said he was told before Friday's game that he would make his first start since the injury. Pretty quick given Friday's morning was his first on a line.

"Today was my first time practicing with a line this morning," Athanasiou said. "(Coach Jeff Blashill) said he would tell me if I'd be in. First, he asked me if I was ready ... so today was my first time having contact."

Why wait?

Athanasiou assisted on Jeff Hoggan's power-play goal in the first period, took his regular shift with Anthony Mantha and Mark Zengerle and, outside of a tripping call midway through the third, impressed Blashill in the Griffins' 5-4 overtime win.

Andreas Athanasiou

"Double-A is a dynamic, dynamic talent, and I actually thought he did better than I would have guessed after having six weeks off," Blashill said. "His attention to detail was pretty good. I thought there were little things, like stopping pucks, that were really good and then when he gets pucks and explodes up ice, he's just dynamic."

And that's still playing 10 pounds below the 190 he was before he was injured when he was hit along the boards in the closing minute of a two-goal, three-point game at Oklahoma City. He played the next game before learning of the fracture.

At the time of the injury, the 20-year old had 16 points (7-9-16) in 25 games with a plus-8 rating - one of the best on the team.

Athanasiou, the Red Wings' third choice (110th overall) in the 2012 draft, said he lost about 25 pounds in the weeks that followed as he survived on blended foods. He got the wire removed from his jaw just over two weeks ago and has since done individual drills and worn a red shirt in light practices.

"A broken jaw doesn't affect your legs," he joked.

Blashill said it was easy to bring Athanasiou back because of his skating ability. He met with Athanasiou, then met with staff and came to a simple decision.

"Our whole staff ... felt like he's such a great skater, get him in there," Blashill said.



Afterward, Athanasiou said was pleased with his endurance.

"I think I've working hard the past couple weeks to get my conditioning up," he said. "So after those first couple of shifts there, getting into the game flow ... I was feeling a little better."

The challenge will be playing on back-to-back nights. The Griffins play Rochester again Saturday.

"Tomorrow will be even harder than tonight," Blashill said. "The second game back is usually harder than the first. But we'll manage his ice time as best we can."

Rochester Americans at Griffins February 2015 15 Gallery: Rochester Americans at Griffins February 2015

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