Jakub Vrana can't wait to face former teammates!

The news that fans of the Detroit Red Wings were hoping to hear from some time now has officially been confirmed ahead of tonight's critical matchup wit the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena. Forward Jakub Vrana, who missed all but the first two games of the 2022-23 season, will be making his return to the lineup for the first time since October 15. 

And ahead of tonight's game, Vrana took the time to not only reflect on his time with the Capitals that included a Stanley Cup championship in 2018, but also to express his excitement on getting back on the ice for the Red Wings.

“Obviously, I spent a couple years over here, so I got some flashbacks for sure coming back to the rink and stepping on the ice here," Vrana said after practice.

"Overall, we had a great group here. We obviously won the Cup. The most important thing is that we stick together as a team. We were like one family here. That brings the memories into the future.”

This game tomorrow is really important for our group, and at this time of the year, you have to come in and prepare every day and give it all you got. I feel like we have it here." 

As far as getting back into NHL action, you can say that Vrana is certainly revving up to go. 

“It’s been some time,” Vrana said. “I’m really excited. Been training a lot. It’s gonna be nice to get the game going and get that game feel. I’m excited to go and do it again.”

The good news for Vrana is that he was riding a six game point streak (four goals, four assists) before being recalled by the Red Wings last week. He wasn't able to get into game action just yet, however, as head coach Derek Lalonde elected to not rock the boat during Detroit's five game winning streak.