Lowry to make season debut with Jets after hip surgery

WINNIPEG -- Adam Lowry will make his season debut when the Winnipeg Jets begin a six-game road trip at the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday (10:30 p.m. ET; FDSNW, TSN3).

The 32-year-old Jets captain missed the first 12 games while recovering from hip surgery May 27. The projected timeline for rehabilitation was 5-6 months.

"I feel really good," the center said. "I'm looking forward to being back out there. It feels like Christmas morning. I'm looking forward to it.

"You never want to start the season not playing, but the group's done a great job, and they've been playing great. Hopefully go in and don't disrupt things too much."

Lowry's decision to have the procedure came after Winnipeg's six-game loss to the Dallas Stars in the best-of-7 Western Conference Second Round.

"This was kind of the target," Lowry said. "Obviously, I would have loved to be back a little sooner, but when they gave me the timeframe and what the recovery process would look like, sitting down, talking with the medical staff, talking with Dr. Kelly in New York and talking with (Jets coach Scott Arniel), I think it just made the most sense.

"Obviously, I would have loved to play last game, make my return at home (a 5-2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday), but I think an extra few days, be on the ice a few more times, get another good practice in, can only help. Like I said, the team's been playing great. It makes it a little easier to sit out and watch and see them having success on the ice. I'm just looking forward to coming in and contributing any way I can."

The Jets (9-3-0) have won three in a row and are tied with the Montreal Canadiens (9-3-0) for the best points percentage (.750) in the NHL after winning the Presidents' Trophy last season.

"There's been stretches this year where it's been kind of not the best hockey we've played, but we've found ways to win hockey games," Arniel said. "But it's looking more and more like how we want to do things in the last few [games] and more consistent."

Leadership, physicality and a 200-foot defensive game are the staples of what Lowry brings to the Jets. He also set NHL career highs in goals (16) and plus/minus (plus-18) for Winnipeg last season and had 18 assists and 34 points in 73 games.

"I think going through training camp and just missing being a part of the group, missing going through that grind and being out there with the guys, that was tough," Lowry said. "I just think the time, you can't speed it up. You want to push. You want to be back out there as fast as you can, but at the end of the day, you've got to listen to your body. You have to just wait, which sometimes is a little easier said than done."

Arniel said, "I know it's been hard for him because he's not playing in the games … At the end of day, you're in his shoes, he's the captain and he's vocal, he's the leader and you're not able to do that for two months. So, now I'm sure he's got a lot of stuff built up in him, but that's just him."

Lowry was the center on the third line between Tanner Pearson and Nino Niederreiter during practice.

"We've played a lot together the last few years, so it's definitely great having him out there," Niederreiter said. "Even just for a presence with the team, I think is a big, big key for us, obviously, our captain, our leader. … He's a great player. He's very competitive, and he's great to have in the locker room and on the ice, and you've got to make sure he comes in and he wants to make sure he takes charge. So, I think everybody's looking forward to having him back."