Chris Pronger #20 of the Philadelphia Flyers warms up before playing against the Ottawa Senators on January 20, 2011 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger skated Friday for the first time in more than four months and reported no problems, Philly.com reported.
Pronger, 36, skated for 25 minutes and was able to take slap shots, saying his surgically repaired right hand felt totally healed.
However, his status for the Oct. 6 opener against Boston is still up in the air.
"We'll see how I feel tomorrow," Pronger told reporters after Friday's skate. "Having not skated and done anything on the ice in 4 1/2 months, you have to take it slowly and see how you feel day to day. I felt pretty good out there, but usually the first time on the ice is when you feel good -- and then it's day two, three, four and five where you're a little suspect, so we'll see how it goes tomorrow."
Pronger said he was a couple weeks away from being able to practice with the team. The Flyers are scheduled to report to training camp on Sept. 16.
Pronger was hampered by four surgeries in 2010-11 on his back, foot, hand, and knee. His most recent surgery came in May when a procedure removed a disc fragment that was pressing against a nerve in his back. He missed several games during the team's playoff run last season and was forced into a limited role when cleared to play.