Return of Heatley Is Full of Emotion

ATLANTA —  Dany Heatley was back on the ice, his physical recovery complete. But he wore a constant reminder of that awful night on a patch above his heart.

No. 37.

Dan Snyder’s number.

Heatley made an emotional return to the Atlanta Thrashers on Wednesday night, less than four months after a car crash killed his teammate and friend.

“It’s great just being in the room between periods, just being on the bench,” said Heatley, who celebrated when Jeff Cowan scored late in the third period to salvage a 1-1 tie with the St. Louis Blues.

“Now the first one’s over. Maybe I can move on.”

Heatley was a bit rusty and definitely tired near the end of the game, but he also gave plenty of reasons for optimism.

He had four shots on goal -- as many as anyone on the ice -- and he had two excellent chances late in the first period while working on the power play.

Like all of his teammates, Heatley wore a patch with Snyder’s number on his sweater. After the game, Heatley attended a news conference wearing a hat and warmup suit that also were adorned with No. 37.

“I think about him all the time,” Heatley said. “He was a great guy, the perfect teammate. He was a guy who worked harder than anybody. That’s what I take the most from him.”

Heatley was driving Sept. 29 when his sports car slammed into a wall with Snyder in the passenger seat. Heatley broke his jaw, injured a shoulder and tore ligaments in a knee. Snyder died six days later from massive brain injuries.

The near-sellout crowd at Philips Arena welcomed Heatley back with a raucous ovation. Among the signs: “We’re With You Dany!”