"With his sportswriter's body and a medical chart that could be mistaken for Evel Knievel's, Sami Salo doesn't exactly fit the classic image of an inspirational figure.

But it's a funny thing. When you talk to his teammates — most of whom have been through major injuries of their own — you begin to understand the respect with which Salo is held in the Canucks' locker-room. Time after time, they've seen their comrade fall. And time after time they've seen him get off the mat.

That means something at the best of times. Considering the Canucks' current circumstances, it means even more.

"It's admirable," said Kevin Bieska. "To come back and go through that kind of re-hab, when it's uncertain if he'll play again, shows character and that's the way Sami is. Guys have a lot of respect for him. He's like the Wolverine of our team."

And that's an interesting comparison because Salo doesn't exactly remind you of Hugh Jackman. Or Tim Jackman for that matter.

The fragile Finn — minus the facial hair and the ability to regenerate damaged tissue — returned to the Canucks' lineup on Saturday night, and if he didn't play like a super hero, he did make a difference in a lineup that's been shredded in the past week.

Logging 16 minutes of largely error-free ice time on the Canucks' blueline, Salo seemed to have a calming effect on a team that needed a dose of veteran poise. True, the larger story on this night was written by Mikael Samuelsson and the Canucks' penalty killers, but Salo played his part in the Canucks' win.

And the best part? (Sorry, gratuitous Sami injury joke coming). Unless he hurt himself getting into the cab on his way home, he's still healthy.

"I was nervous obviously at the start of the game," said Salo after the Canucks' 4-2 victory over the Calgary Flames.

"But I had a good feeling with the three games in Manitoba and getting the cheer from the crowd was encouraging. I felt pretty good out there."

Salo received two lengthy ovations from the faithful before the puck dropped."