Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz returned to the ice for the first time Saturday since suffering a broken left leg Oct. 13 in Montreal.

Schultz wasn’t outfitted in his hockey gear, but he skated on his own before the Penguins practiced at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.

“It’s a big step. It’s a big step that he’s back on the ice,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “I know he’s excited. It’s been a long time for him. These guys, they’re built to be hockey players. They want to be on the ice every day and when you can’t, it’s tough. I know Justin’s gone through an extended period of rehab here, so for him to get back on the ice, I know he’s excited. And we’re excited because it’s a big step as far as his return to play.”

When Schultz suffered the injury, the original prognosis estimated he’d be back in February.

The Penguins haven’t updated that timetable, as Schultz still needs to navigate several more steps in the rehabilitation process before being cleared to return.

“Obviously the next step would be getting involved with our skills coach and then inevitably getting back involved in practice with the team before he’s fully prepared to participate in games, but just the fact that he’s back on the ice I think is a huge first step for us,” Sullivan said.

Jonathan Bombulie is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jonathan at jbombulie@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BombulieTrib.

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