Written by Gina Anton
LOS ANGELES – Kevin Fiala’s return to the Los Angeles Kings was more than a return to the NHL. It marked the end of a difficult recovery that began with a devastating injury on one of hockey’s biggest stages.
Fiala suffered multiple fractures to his left lower leg while representing Switzerland at the 2026 Winter Olympics in February. His tournament ended immediately, and so did the remainder of his NHL season. What followed was months of rehabilitation, uncertainty and patience as Fiala worked to get his body back to where it needed to be.
The recovery was not as straightforward as simply waiting for his leg to heal. Fiala underwent a follow-up procedure in September related to his original injury, forcing him to miss the beginning of training camp and delaying his return even further. For an athlete accustomed to skating every day, competing and preparing for the next game, being forced to wait can be one of the most difficult parts of the process.
“It was pretty challenging,” Fiala said. “To be honest, I think it's more complicated than a lot of people think about this injury. ... It's a lot of up and downs. But I'm playing now, so I'm very happy to put it behind me and look forward.”
That recovery finally brought Fiala back to the ice Thursday against the New York Islanders. After nearly nine months away from NHL action, the 30-year-old forward recorded an assist and played 16:37 in his season debut as the Kings fell 5-2. The point was an encouraging start, but his return was about more than what appeared on the scoresheet. Fiala had spent months working his way through rehabilitation, and now he had to experience the part of the recovery that cannot be recreated in a training room: playing a real NHL game again.
The Hard Part Was the Waiting
Fiala’s injury came at a moment that was supposed to be one of the highlights of his season. He was representing Switzerland at the Olympics when his leg became trapped underneath him following a collision with Team Canada forward Tom Wilson. Instead of continuing to compete for his country, Fiala was taken from the ice on a stretcher and faced a long road back to hockey. The Kings later confirmed that he would miss the remainder of the NHL season, turning what had been an exciting Olympic opportunity into months of rehabilitation.
The uncertainty continued into the fall. Fiala had been working toward a return, but the additional procedure in September meant he would miss the beginning of training camp as well. Each stage of the recovery required patience, and even when he was eventually able to return to the ice, there was still a difference between skating in practice and competing in an NHL game. His body could be prepared in practice, but there was no way to completely recreate the speed, physicality and unpredictability of an actual NHL game.
“You can't emulate what your body goes through, and how different things are, when it's live fire,” Kings head coach Peter Laviolette said before Fiala's return.
That difference became important once Fiala finally stepped back into the lineup. After spending so much time away, he had to readjust to the pace and physicality of an NHL game while continuing to trust the leg that had kept him out for most of the year. Getting through those first shifts was an important part of moving forward, even if it meant his first game back was not going to feel completely normal.
“I think that moment helped me for sure to feel I'm here, you know,” Fiala said. “Especially after nine months or so missing games, you got to get in there.”
Back to Being a Hockey Player
Before his injury, Fiala had been an important part of the Kings’ offense, recording 18 goals and 22 assists for 40 points in 56 games during the 2025-26 season. Los Angeles will eventually need that offensive production again, but expecting Fiala to immediately return as the same player he was before the injury would overlook everything he has had to go through to get back. His first game was an opportunity to begin rebuilding his timing, confidence and trust in his body, and those things will take time just as the recovery itself did.
The assist against the Islanders was a positive sign, but Fiala’s biggest accomplishment was being able to put on his uniform, take the ice and compete again after spending nearly nine months unable to do so. Every shift will give him another opportunity to become more comfortable, regain his rhythm and prove to himself that his body can handle the demands of NHL hockey again.
Fiala’s return does not erase the difficult months that came before it. The injury, additional procedure, rehabilitation and uncertainty are all part of the journey that brought him back to Los Angeles’ lineup. But after spending so much time focused on when he would be able to play again, Fiala can finally shift his attention toward what comes next.
For the Kings, his return provides an important offensive addition. For Fiala, it represents something much more personal: the opportunity to stop thinking about the injury and start playing again. His comeback will not be defined by one assist or one game. After everything it took to get here, it will be measured by the process of rebuilding his confidence, trusting his body and gradually finding his grove again.
