A welcome sight greeted the smattering of Penguins fans gathered Tuesday at the team’s practice facility in Cranberry: Evgeni Malkin and Nick Bonino were back on the ice.
One fan even yelled out: “Oh, thank God.”
It’s not quite time for that ticker tape parade. Both centers wore yellow, no-contact jerseys for the first portion of practice, and will not be available Wednesday in Boston.
But their presence marked a key step toward a return.
“It’s a big step for them to join the team,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “It’s their first practice with the team.