Blues defenseman Eric Brewer has been cleared to play and will be in the lineup against Phoenix tonight.
The club said earlier this week that Brewer was “very close” to rejoining the team. He was waiting clearance from his Los Angeles doctor. 

“It was all up to Brew . . . he set today as his target, and the doctors cleared him,” Blues President John Davidson said. “He’s been able to practice hard for some time now, and he wants to get back in there. It’s not going to be easy, but we’ve got to get him back to speed.”

The Blues admit they don’t know how much Brewer will play tonight, or how effective he’ll be.

“I think that could change during the game,” Davidson said. “If he’s winded, the coaches will have to lighten his load. If he’s into it, he’ll get his minutes. You don’t know if he’ll play eight minutes or 22 minutes. You judge it as you go along. But I hope we’ll be able to rotate three defensive pairs.”
Brewer hasn’t played since last December when an issue with his sciatic nerve led to two back surgeries. His last back surgery was in April and six weeks later he began another rehabilation process. During the rehab, Brewer tweaked a knee and needed minor surgery. He resumed his rehab after the knee surgery and began skating with the Blues after they returned from Sweden Oct. 5.

“Here’s a guy that was worried about his career,” Davidson said. “He took the full time to rehab properly and now he’s in a position where he feels 100 percent. A lot of athletes retire because of back injuries. It’s not a fun issue. This injury could have been debilitating. But here it is the end of October and he’s ready to go. I’ve got to give him credit.”

JR