DULUTH — Junior defenseman Will Francis is expected to make his return to the Minnesota Duluth lineup this Saturday when the Bulldogs travel to St. Paul to take on St. Thomas in an exhibition game.
UMD coach Scott Sandelin confirmed that Francis is on track to make his debut this weekend, though the question of how much he will play is still to be determined.
Francis, 23, took a leave from the UMD hockey team in early August after a post-recovery blood test showed his leukemia had returned. He had previously been declared cancer-free on July 9, 2020.
After the Bulldogs’ most recent NCHC series against Miami in early December, Francis shared his plan to begin practicing in full with the team during the last week of December prior to the Kwik Trip Holiday Faceoff in Milwaukee in order to get back into game shape.
“You can’t replicate what happens in a game, but you can get close to it,” said Francis after the Miami series. “So that’s the biggest thing for me these next few weeks that I’m focused on.”
The 23-year-old Anaheim Ducks draft pick and St. Paul native has logged 33 games over the past three seasons as a member of the Bulldogs.
Clint Austin / File / Duluth Media Group
Spicer to remain with team
Sophomore Cole Spicer will remain with the team and continue to take classes at UMD this semester as he looks to regain his eligibility, Sandelin confirmed.
Spicer, a draft pick of the Boston Bruins, was declared academically ineligible prior to the Kwik Trip Holiday Faceoff in Milwaukee this past weekend.
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