Ducks’ Joffrey Lupul gets a lesson in social media

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Joffrey Lupul’s back is much better but he now has a mild case of Twitter remorse.

The Ducks winger underwent disc surgery last December and hasn’t been able to get back onto the ice because of a virulent and recurring post-surgical infection. He was put on a long course of antibiotics and was prohibited from exercising strenuously, which is why he had hockey fans buzzing Monday morning when he posted this on his Twitter account:

Just one problem: He wasn’t cleared to start skating, only to resume working out.

“My tweet may have sounded a little more optimistic than it really is, but when you’ve had as much bad news as I’ve had, any good news is a great thing,” he said Monday afternoon.

“I can start my workouts and if I want to get on the ice sometime in the near future I can go ahead and do that, albeit by myself. [His doctor] made it clear he doesn’t want me out there with the guys or anything but it’s a small step in the right direction.

“I’m just really looking forward to getting back in shape. My body is nowhere near where it should be after all that time off. So I’m happy that way.”

But he has a ways to go. “There’s a protocol they want me to follow and there will be a lot of checkups and things like that in the future. It’s good news but it’s not saying I’m going to be back out there with the guys anytime soon,” said Lupul, who began his career with the Ducks, was traded to Edmonton in the Chris Pronger deal and was later traded to Philadelphia, which sent him back to Anaheim to get Pronger in June 2009.

“Just to get back and start conditioning myself, I’m just really, really looking forward to it.”

Lupul had his first operation, on a herniated disc, on Dec. 17 after scoring 10 goals in 23 games. He required a second procedure a few weeks later and developed the infection after that.

He started working out this summer but severe back pain sent him to the doctor again. Blood tests showed a return of the infection, which required three antibiotics.

“Two or three weeks into the treatment I started feeling a lot better, like my old self again,” he said. “There have just been so many steps in this.

“After the original surgery I hoped to be back in six to eight weeks. Here we are 10 months later. It’s been tough but it’s one of those things where you’ve got to keep a positive attitude, and at least today I got a little bit of good news.”

-- Helene Elliott