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Reduced to merely watching as a fan from the stands, Brendan Smith felt far removed from the one thing he knows, the one thing he loves.

Smith couldn?t play hockey.

More than a month ago the freshman defenseman was skating in a game, and suddenly something didn?t feel right. He tweaked something in his back.

Hoping it would correct itself, Smith played through the pain for five more games. But it didn?t go away. In the middle of the Friday night game against Denver, he felt a paralyzing pain and knew right then his injury was serious.

?I really couldn?t even move my body,? Smith recalls. ?That was the first time I was like ?What is wrong?? I can?t even play it hurts so much.?

A freshman season that held so much promise for Smith after the Detroit Red Wings made him its first pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and 27th selection overall was abruptly halted.

?When he went down, everyone felt for him. It was pretty serious,? said Craig Johnson, the man who replaced Smith in the lineup.

The Red Wings had no reason to send scouts out to Badger hockey games. Nor could Smith polish his game, one that was still a work-in-progress after making the switch from forward to defenseman a few years ago.

?You only have like 40 games per season, which is really short compared to the OHL or even the USHL,? Smith said. ?Missing a weekend is huge. I?ve missed six.?

Append the actual acute pain of his back, and the misery enveloping Smith?s features was apparent.

?It?s been hard, especially when you see teams like Minnesota play and you?re forced to watch while everyone tells you how great it is,? Smith said.

?It?s a really tough thing to handle, especially since he?s a competitor,? Davis Drewiske said of Smith?s injury.

Feelings of disconnect from the team set in during the first few weeks following Smith?s injury because injured players don?t attend road games.

?It?s difficult because you don?t feel like a part of the team,? Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves said. ?I know that having been through that myself. It?s tough.?

That?s where Eaves, the entire coaching staff and the team have doubled their efforts to make Smith feel welcome.

?We go out of our way to make sure he?s a part of the team, make sure he?s in on meetings and learning and bust his chops when he doesn?t look sharp,? Eaves said.

For that, Smith is grateful.

?Coach has been great,? Smith said. ?He?s talked to me and brought my spirits up a few times. You?ve got KP (Kevin Patrick), who helps me with problems all the time; Coach gives me a little boost; and obviously Oz (Mark Osiecki) talks to me like I?m still playing.?

Smith may have needed the extra support and inclusion from time to time, but he didn?t ever quit the fight to get back onto the ice. From Johnson?s vantage point, the way Smith has handled himself during his first significant injury is something special.

?I give him credit, being a first-round draft pick dealing with a serious injury and keeping his head up as much as he has; every day coming to this rink and being supportive of everyone,? Johnson said. ?That kid?s strong, really strong.?

The weeks Smith wasn?t allowed to skate didn?t keep him from getting a little bit of practice.

?I want to play so much just watching practice, so I?d actually grab a stick and start standing with my shoes on because all I want to do is play,? Smith said.

Last week Smith?s recovery process took a baby step when he stepped back onto the ice for the first time to test his back and skate around a little bit. This week he has been practicing in full equipment and participating in no-contact drills.

Gasping through practice and Eaves? Greased Lightnings ? killers between the blue lines ? was a breath of fresh air. Smith knows he?s getting closer.

Each day brings new hope, an added incentive to work through the exhaustion ? as he works his way into game-playing shape ? to one day get back into the lineup.

Still, patience is a must. And as difficult as the first few weeks were for Smith, these final few have been agonizing.

?Right now I feel like I can go, but I can?t because I?m still being patient with my back,? Smith said, whose back is still stiff at times. ?It?s so hard. … I just want to play.?

When Smith debuted for the Badgers, it took little time for Smith to confound the opposition with his scoring and passing abilities. He scored six points in the first four games and 10 after seven. Although he then went through a dry spell, scoring just one point in the next four series, he had turned it on again right before the injury.

If all goes well, Smith would like to make his return before the bell rings on the end of the regular season. Translation: next weekend.

?I want to play against St. Cloud State, but I don?t know if I?ll be ready or allowed,? Smith said, ?The doc has to clear me first.?

So the defenseman just keeps telling himself: ?I?m almost there. I?m almost there.?