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Injured OHL rookie recovering at his Oakville home By Jeff Hicks METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP 5 · Wednesday, November 11, 2009 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com Ben Fanelli had some welcome visitors Sunday night. Four of his Kitchener Rangers teammates stopped by his Oakville home. "He looked great," said Rangers rookie Ryan Murphy, after spending about an hour and a half with his ping-pong pal and fellow first-year Ontario Hockey Leaguer. Just being released from Hamilton General Hospital late Friday was a victory for Fanelli, who suffered a fractured skull and facial fractures and lacerations after being checked into the end boards during an Oct. 30 game at the Kitchener Auditorium. The Rangers say doctors are pleased with his progress. He's had no surgeries to date. Fanelli, 16, is due back at Hamilton General on Ben Fanelli Thursday to meet with doctors and undergo more tests. But Sunday night was for friends, not doctors. Murphy, Ben Thomson, Micky Sartoretto and Jonathan Jasper kidded with their friend, who was set up comfortably in his family room. His head was not bandaged, but the cut near his right eye, the one that bled on the ice two Fridays ago, has left a pretty good scar. "We were all kidding around and saying it was going to be a nice one," Murphy said. "He laughed and he was right into it." Rangers head coach Steve Spott, assistant Paul Fixter and trainer Dan Lebold also visited with Fanelli and his parents. Spott said Fanelli was talkative and enjoyed the company of his friends. "It was really therapeutic for everybody," Spott said. "I think it was important for our guys too, just to see Ben Fanelli's face with the laughing and the joking around. You could see, even for his mom and dad, it was a real positive visit. It was great for all parties." Spott said the Fanelli family isn't ready to speak to the media yet. Fanelli's serious injury, on a hit by Mike Liambas of the Erie Otters, has been a national hockey story. Fanelli was moved out of intensive care last Thursday and came home on the weekend. "It feels good to know he's doing all right and getting back to normal." Ben Thomson, Kitchener Rangers teammate Meanwhile, the OHL banned Liambas, 20, for the rest of his junior career over the hit. Since the injury, Fanelli hadn't spoken to any of his teammates until Sunday. Prior to that, his only message to them was "Keep winning," which remains written on the dressing room board with Fanelli's No. 4 circled beside it. The Rangers beat Guelph 3-1 on Sunday. "He's a good guy," Sartoretto said of Fanelli. "He's really outgoing. You really notice when he's not here. His presence is always felt in the room. He's always bringing everyone up." On Sunday, he made four of his closest teammates feel better. "It feels good to know he's doing all right and getting back to normal," Thomson said. "But we all know it's a long road he's got to travel here." OPEN HOUSE COME IN AND MEET US! NOVEMBER 7-13 905-845-3417 Look for our FREE Swim or Adult Work Out Pass offer in this paper! 410 Rebecca St., Oakville, ON L6K 1K7 E-mail: customerservice@oakville.ymca.ca NEWEST OAKVILLE LOCATION GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION NOV 12TH-15TH Dorval 20 905-845-4782 % off th S Nor er v ice Rd. www.marks.com Kerr St. QEW