Canucks centerman Joe LaBate will finally be making his NHL return tonight after being away for over eight years, and he got emotional in an interview. Canucks centerman Joe LaBate will finally be making his NHL return tonight after being away for over eight years, and he got emotional in an interview. Joe LaBate had a hard time speaking when questioned about the most challenging aspect of <a href='https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/joe-labate-makes-long-journey-back-to-canucks-lineup/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>his lengthy journey back to the Vancouver Canucks</a>. Over eight seasons later, and with only six NHL games in between, the 32-year-old forward is in the lineup <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl/news/penguins-arturs-silovs-comments-prior-to-starting-against-his-former-canucks-team' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins</a>, and he was very emotional speaking about it. It's incredible. Honestly, it's hard to put into words. If I think hard about it, it's emotional. Yeah, it's been a journey. But I'm just so happy to be here and help this team. I'll do everything I can. -Joe LaBate <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/imacSportsnet/status/1980700864806547680'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> LaBate's recapture was facilitated after injuries to Filip Chytil, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, and Teddy Blueger in Sunday's 4-3 victory over Washington. This compelled the Canucks to make an emergency recall. The Burnsville, Minnesota-born forward, who is a hometown and close family buddy of Brock Boeser, practiced on the fourth line this morning with Nils Aman and Drew O'Connor. His final game with the Canucks was on March 28, 2017, a 4-1 loss against Anaheim in Willie Desjardins' last several weeks behind the bench. After that season, LaBate had serious hip surgery and rehabbed for almost eight months. For a few ensuing years, he ping-ponged between the AHL with Vancouver's affiliates, Ottawa's, and Nashville's before he traveled overseas to Kazakhstan in the KHL in 2023. That cross-continental wager revitalized his North American career. I got a ton of opportunity in a very good league, he said. I just grew my game a lot, I think, and it helped me a lot with adversity. The way that I went into it was, you know, kind of like a revamp, a refresh. Let's see what I can do and go from there. Obviously, I had goals to make it back to the NHL, but I think going over there was like... let's make a change and grow my game. See what happens. <h3>Joe LaBate began turning heads after a solid season in Columbus last year</h3> Following his season with Columbus last year, LaBate attracted renewed NHL interest, including Vancouver, now led in part by and featuring assistant GM Ryan Johnson, formerly in charge of the team's AHL affiliate in Utica. Now signed to a two-year contract for $775,000 in the NHL and $350,000 in the minors, LaBate's determination at last has finally paid off. After 11 seasons in the bigs, 460 games in the AHL, and 19 in the NHL, he'll finally have another opportunity Tuesday evening at something that up to now has eluded him: his first-ever NHL goal.