Maple Leafs captain John Tavares back skating, one week after devastating hit

Maple Leafs captain John Tavares skated Thursday morning in his first on-ice session, one week after he suffered a concussion and knee injury in Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens.

Tavares took to the ice prior to the Leafs morning skate, and was seen on an overhead TV feed doing laps around the ice on his own. He was then joined by Nick Foligno, who has missed the last two games with an upper body injury.

Tavares’s skate included some light hockey drills, and lasted about 20 minutes before he left the ice.

Tavares’s recovery timeline was initially set at two weeks for his knee injury. There was no timeline given for his concussion.

Tavares reported to the Leafs practice facility Wednesday to see his teammates. He had been in contact with them virtually on a daily basis since his injuries.

“The players care greatly for him,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said Wednesday.

“He’s the captain of our group. For him to reach and stay (in contact), to reassure the guys he’s doing well, because he has been doing very well and its very good for our team.”

Seeing both players active — especially their captain — could give the team a boost when the Leafs play the Canadiens on Thursday night at the Scotiabank Arena.

A win by the Leafs will eliminate the Canadiens, setting up a North Division final between Toronto and Winnipeg.

The league has not released a schedule for the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

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With files from Kevin McGran