anc ements ▁in ▁modern ▁medicine , ▁under going ▁a ▁very ▁special ized ▁and ▁complex ▁procedure ▁that ▁involved ▁removing ▁ 1 3 ▁cent imet res ▁from ▁his ▁right ▁fib ula , ▁and ▁then ▁gra ft ing ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁fem ur ▁to ▁re - int rodu ce ▁a ▁proper ▁blood ▁supply ▁to ▁the ▁area . ▁Hol m gren ▁said ▁that ▁while ▁the ▁surg ery ▁went ▁better ▁than ▁expected , ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁know ▁exactly ▁how ▁long ▁Em ery ' s ▁recovery ▁would ▁take . ▁ ▁On ▁July ▁ 1 , ▁Em ery ▁became ▁an ▁un rest rict ed ▁free ▁agent ▁as ▁his ▁injury ▁de emed ▁him ▁unable ▁to ▁play ▁until ▁he ▁recuper ated . ▁In ▁August , ▁he ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁go - a head ▁to ▁begin ▁the ▁gru eling ▁and ▁ted ious ▁work out ▁and ▁re h abil itation ▁process . ▁In ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁T SN ▁visited ▁Em ery ▁during ▁an ▁on - ice ▁work out ▁and ▁were ▁surprised ▁to ▁see ▁him ▁get ▁down ▁into ▁the ▁but ter fly ▁position ▁and ▁play ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁since ▁surg ery . ▁Em ery ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁" care ▁if ▁[ he ▁could ] ▁walk ▁in ▁seven ▁years ", ▁and ▁he ▁" just ▁[ w anted ] ▁to ▁play ". ▁To ▁the ▁surprise ▁of ▁his ▁do ctors ▁and ▁train ers , ▁Em ery ▁recovered ▁faster ▁than ▁expected . ▁In ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁Em ery ▁began ▁sk ating ▁with ▁an ▁O HL ▁team , ▁taking