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'It’s been a long journey': Hurricanes' Bickell almost back after MS diagnosis

RALEIGH, N.C. — Bryan Bickell wasn’t sure this day would come again.

And here he is taking another step towards a return to the NHL.

A disappointing season may be coming to a close for the Carolina Hurricanes as they prepare to miss the playoffs, but there’s something very special happening as the club’s 30-year-old winger, who received a devastating multiple sclerosis diagnosis last November, is getting ready to make a comeback.

In a story that is, in many ways, about perseverance and dedication, Bickell — who spent his four-year OHL career with the Ottawa 67’s — was placed on waivers Thursday so he can be sent to Carolina’s AHL affiliate in nearby Charlotte.