Johan Franzen will be on the ice with the Red Wings at training camp, and is expected to be ready for the season opener.
General manager Ken Holland said the 35-year old forward has been cleared by doctors after suffering through his fourth head injury.
Franzen has been skating for weeks with his teammates at Joe Louis Arena, but he hasn't skated in a game since his most recent concussion in January.
Before he returns for an actual game with the Red Wings, it had been widely publicized that Franzen had to be cleared by the University of Michigan's neurology department.
Just last week, he said he hasn't talked to his doctor "in a while."
"I try to listen to my body and push as hard as I can, but if I have a setback, I kind of let off a little bit and start from scratch again," he said last week.
I asked Franzen if he's thought about calling it a career. He has a Stanley Cup ring, and is still owed $12 million on his 11-year, $43-million contract. He has been to hockey's mountain top, and money certainly wouldn't be a problem for years to come.
After pausing for a moment, he said he hasn't wrapped his head around shutting things down.
Yet.
"I haven't really been there yet in my thoughts. (There have) been so many tough years here, with the last two three years with injuries. I just want to have a good year."
"I want to decide on my own when I quit."
Franzen said his threshold has been building for weeks, dating back to the playoffs. But the most concerning part of the process hasn't stopped.
These workouts leave Franzen so exhausted, he finds himself forced to go home, find his bed, and sleep for the rest of the day.
I asked him the last time that happened.
"Last week," he said.
Franzen swears he's exhausted only because he's beating up his body so much. He goes from running, to on-ice workouts, to biking, all in intense intervals.
"I do it just to trigger it, to see where I'm at. I don't know if it's smart or not, but I do that."
The Red Wings report for training camp next week.
Brad Galli is an anchor and reporter at WXYZ Detroit. Follow Brad on Twitter @BradGalli
