Akim Aliu is dreaming big in pro hockey return

He might not be a superstar or may have set records, but everyone around the hockey world knows the name Akim Aliu.

Now, after not playing in the past three seasons, the 34-year-old is giving it another shot.

Aliu has signed a tryout deal with the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League, almost four years since playing with HC Litvinov in Czechia.

It might seem like a longshot, as Aliu stepped away from the game to get his body back to 100%, requiring multiple surgeries and rehabilitation, but the former Calgary Flame wants to make a last run.

The co-founder of the Hockey Diversity Alliance spent most of his professional career in the minor leagues, bouncing around the ECHL and AHL in 11-plus seasons.

On Thursday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk discuss Aliu’s story and his aspirations to return to play.

Frank Seravalli: The goal is to make it all the way back to the top…His body just hasn’t cooperated partly. I think he’s up to 12 surgeries since he stopped playing. Tons of rehab along the way, and he’s someone that, throughout this entire process, the goal has always been to make it back to the NHL. There really hasn’t been a path for him to do so.

He’s spent the last number of years working on his body…He wants a chance to at least see what he can do. As we know, with some of the different things that have popped up, including the racial slurs that were thrown at him by Bill Peters, there have been a lot of things that happened along the way…I think he just wanted an opportunity to really be able to answer all of the questions in his own mind.

You can watch the entire segment, and full episode here…