Stamkos taking light contact drills in practice

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper talks about the status of injured forward Steven Stamkos.

TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Lightning star Steven Stamkos has done light contact drills for the first time since breaking his right shin last November.

Stamkos practiced with his teammates on Saturday as they prepared for a game Saturday night against Colorado. The centre had a couple sessions of being pushed along and into the boards by Lightning captain Martin St. Louis.

A member of Canada’s Olympic team, Stamkos hopes that he will be able to play with the Lightning and then participate in the Sochi games next month.

"Every day he’s get better," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. "There’s still lots of things that have to go on still. He hasn’t been cleared, and he’s still a ways away from being cleared."

Cooper said a good test for Stamkos will come when the Lightning have a regular practice on Monday.

"We’ll have to see what kind of strides he takes here," Cooper said.

Stamkos has been out since he was injured Nov. 11 at Boston and needed surgery. He had 14 goals and 23 points in 17 games before the injury.

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