St. Louis Blues forward Jakub Vrana laced up his skates on Saturday, joining his former team Linköping HC (LHC) for an intrasquad scrimmage. Alongside fellow LHC alumni, Vrana competed against current players at the team’s season kickoff.

Vrana previously spent four seasons in the Linköping organization, playing at both the junior and SHL level before making the jump to North America in 2015.

Saturday’s event also included an exhibition game between LHC’s women’s team and HV71, as well as demonstrations from the organization’s junior clubs. Vrana was all smiles while participating, wearing Blues gear under his sweater.

Linköping posted a message on their Instagram that Vrana sent to the team’s fans wishing them good luck for the upcoming season.

Vrana had a difficult end to his time with the Detroit Red Wings last year. He spent part of the season in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program and was sent down to the AHL shortly after his return. The Red Wings ultimately dealt Vrana to St. Louis at the trade deadline, where he ended his season on a high note with 14 points (10g, 4a) from 20 games.

Vrana was grateful for the fresh start, as he explained shortly after the move.

“I was super excited.” he said then. “When I heard [about the trade], things didn’t go well for me in Detroit. It’s in the past now. I was really excited to get a chance to play again, and the St. Louis Blues gave me the chance. I’m really happy about that.”

He made a brief return to DC earlier this offseason, joining Alex Ovechkin at a Washington Nationals game in April.

Alex Ovechkin is here at Nats Park tonight!

Love to see Ovi supporting the Nats pic.twitter.com/LU9kr8PxvG

— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) April 18, 2023

In a recent interview, Vrana offered more details on his exit from Detroit, explaining how the relationship soured after his return from the Player Assistance Program.

“I don’t know if it came from the coach [Derek Lalonde] or the general manager [Steve Yzerman],” Vrana said, “but I felt that something was wrong.”

He declined to explain the details behind his decision to enter the program, but emphasized that he’s glad to have done so.

“Something happened to me in my life,” he said. “I did the right thing by seeking help.”