ST. LOUIS -- Amid much speculation, Theo Fleury returned to the Blackhawks on Friday and said he had been absent the last two days because his father, Wally, had prostate surgery, according to the Chicago Tribune.

	Fleury

Fleury said his father, 63, was home in Saskatchewan, up and moving about. The family is waiting for test results to see if the tumor was cancerous. Fleury said the news "threw me for a bit of a loop."

As to his missed practices, Fleury told the newspaper he doesn't "need to answer questions on a daily basis. ... I don't think that's fair."

Fleury is in an aftercare program for recovering alcoholics and said, "I don't think you have a right to comment on what's going on in my life. I have to work on it day to day. I struggle the same as anyone else who has a fatal disease. It's not easy."

Fleury skated on a line with Alex Zhamnov and Sergei Berezin on Friday night as the Blackhawks dropped their third straight exhibition, losing 4-3 to the Blues on a goal in the final minute by Keith Tkachuk. Tkachuk had a pair of goals, and Kyle Calder, Mark Bell and Berezin scored for the Hawks.

Fleury will be in the lineup Saturday in Detroit when the 'Hawks close their exhibition season.

Despite not being on the ice for two days, Fleury said he "felt pretty good. I had good legs. We have another one tomorrow night and then the fun starts."

Fleury's late signing meant he didn't take part in the Hawks' offseason conditioning program. Hawks coach Brian Sutter said Fleury was still "just catching up" in his fitness level.

Still, Sutter likes the possibilities of Fleury playing with Zhamnov and Berezin.