CALGARY, Alberta -- Theo Fleury and Eric Lindros are back on the ice, gratified at resuming their careers after long layoffs.

	Fleury

	Lindros

"Not only do I feel good about myself again, I feel good about being able to play again," Fleury said.

He and Lindros are among the NHL stars in Canada's Olympic minicamp this week.

Fleury left the New York Rangers in February and entered a substance-abuse program in Sante Fe, N.M. He was cleared by the league and players' union Tuesday to rejoin the Rangers.

Lindros missed the entire 2000-01 season, waiting to be traded by the Philadelphia Flyers. His trade to the Rangers last month cleared the way for him to play for Canada in Salt Lake City.

On Tuesday night, Fleury was the first player on the ice at Father David Bauer Arena for the first practice.

"It feels great," Fleury said. "When I left in February, I didn't know what was going to happen. I was really nervous (on Tuesday). ... But like I've said before, the ice is where I've been very happy and very comfortable."

Fleury most likely would have been one of the eight players selected for the team in March. But he understood the urgency of his situation.

"For the first time in my life I asked someone for help," he said. "And I'll have to continue to do that for a long time. This isn't something that you overcome in six months. This is an ongoing thing and something I'm going to have to battle the rest of my life.

"But I feel good about that. I have a lot of people now in support positions that I can call and talk to and get the help that I need."

Lindros says Wayne Gretzky, the Olympic team executive director, had a plan if the trade didn't come through.

"He mentioned that if something didn't come together that I should go play in Sweden to get myself ready, and that was certainly an option," Lindros said. "But I'm fortunate that I did get traded."

Lindros hasn't skated with NHL players since his sixth concussion in May 2000 after a hit by Scott Stevens of the New Jersey Devils.

The two players share a dressing room this week. Lindros says it's no big deal.

"We're all here for one common goal and that goal is to prepare ourselves for the Olympics," Lindros said. "The only problems that arise from this is some of the questions that might get asked. We're not here for that. We're here to support each other and find the best way to win."

Lindros joked about telling Stevens to cut him some slack this week.

"There's that one drill we have with the center coming through (the middle)," Lindros said, laughing. "I told Scotty: `It's my first time out there for a while.' "

Stevens and Lindros spoke Tuesday for the first time since the jarring center-ice hit. Stevens said he didn't think he needed to phone Lindros.

The Devils defenseman says it's tough to be in a situation where he has to make friends with many of his former victims.

"It's kind of odd when you're battling with some of these players night after night and then you come here," he said. "It's a bit more difficult for a player like myself.

"That's why I've never been a big fan of going to all-star games. I've been involved in many and it's a great honor but ... I think it's easier if you didn't have to mingle and see these guys off the ice."

Also making peace is Eric Desjardins. He succeeded Lindros as the Flyers' captain and criticized him in the process.

"It's a thing of the past," Desjardins said. "We're here for other reasons, to represent our country. That's something we have to put behind us."