Chad Suer making progress

Published 2:51 pm Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Everett overage defenseman Chad Suer is closing in on a return. Suer suffered a broken jaw on Dec. 17 and had to have his jaw wired shut. The wires are scheduled to come off on Jan. 31. Normally, that would be followed by a period of regaining strength/weight, as people are unable to eat solid foods while their jaws are wired. However, Suer has somehow managed to maintain his weight throughout his recovery. He’s been skating on his own, and the Tips are hopeful Suer will be able to return shortly after the wires are removed.

Meanwhile, there’s been a trio of new faces at practice today and Tuesday. Vancouver-area prospects Austin Adam, Michael Bell and Trent Lofthouse joined the team these two days to get a taste of the WHL. Adam and Bell are 15-year-olds who were fourth- and seventh-round picks in last year’s bantam draft, respectively. Lofthouse is a 16-year-old who was listed by the Tips. They may have been the youngest players on the ice, but they sure weren’t the shortest. Adam is 6-foot-4, Lofthouse is 6-3 and Bell is 6-1.