For Casey Borer, it has been a long time coming, with no certainty it would ever come.

Before Thursday, the defenseman had last played in an NHL game on Dec. 11, 2008. For Borer, that seems like it was in another lifetime given all that happened to him since that game in Philadelphia.

Borer was on the Albany River Rats bus when it crashed on a snowy Massachusetts highway on Feb. 19, 2009 and was one of the players most seriously injured. He suffered a broken neck, leaving him in a hospital, leaving his hockey career in jeopardy.

The Canes have recalled defenseman Casey Borer from Albany (AHL). Borer will be available to play in tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens at the RBC Center.

5:45 p.m. UPDATE: Borer and Tim Conboy will play tonight and Canes will dress seven defensemen. Forward Drayson Bowman will not play because of contractural issue that involves him being an emergency callup.

Borer, 24, has one goal and eight assists (9 points) in 30 AHL games this season for Albany. On April 2, the Minneapolis, Minn., native was named the winner of the AHL’s Fred T. Hunt Award, as the player who best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, determination and dedication to hockey.

Borer was among those most seriously injured in the River Rats’ Feb. 19, 2009, bus crash on the Massachusetts Turnpike. He suffered a fractured neck vertebra, ending his 2008-09 season, and underwent surgery on his neck in September. After spending nearly a full year recovering from the injury, Borer returned to Albany’s lineup on Jan. 23, 2010.

A quick update on Casey Borer. The defenseman, who suffered a broken neck in the River Rats' bus crash Feb. 19, has been skating and working out in Minneapolis and hopes to be ready for the Canes' training camp next month.

"I don't have many restrictions in the workouts and in what I can do," Borer said this week from his home in Minneapolis. "I can do pretty much everything."

Borer has yet to be medically cleared for contact and still is not sure when he will receive that clearance. He said he wore neck braces for nine weeks but has not needed any surgery.

A day after adding depth forward Steven Goertzen and re-signing minor leaguers Casey Borer and goalie Justin Peters, the Carolina Hurricanes added defenseman Jay Harrison.

Harrison was signed to a one-year, two-way contract that would pay him $500,000 at the NHL level and $125,000 in the AHL, with $175,000 guaranteed.

PHILADELPHIA — Canes defenseman Casey Borer now has made the ESPN highlights. Also a place on hockeyfights.com.

Borer tangled with the Philadelphia Flyers' Scott Hartnell on Thursday night, trading a few blows with the bruising forward during the Canes' 6-5 shootout loss.

The winner? Let's say Borer took more than he landed. He left the ice bleeding, a nasty cut over his left eye.

"That's definitely my first NHL fight," Borer said today. "I wasn't really out there looking to fight, but sometimes you have to do that."

With called-up defensemen Tim Conboy and Casey Borer set to join the line-up tonight in their season debut, Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice praised what both players accomplished with the AHL's Albany River Rats this year, and spoke about the physical game Conboy brings.

"Timmy obviously brings a physical component, and that's part of what he offers our team," said Maurice. "We want to see that from him tonight, but we also want to see him control it. ... I don't need to see him try to impress the new coach three minutes into the game, if it's not the right time."

One game into the Paul Maurice regime, assessments are being made. Two of them will come as no surprise to fans: Josef Melichar wasn't getting the job done and the team needs more toughness.

So exit Melichar, who was sent to Albany (AHL) along with Pat Dwyer on Friday, and enter Tim Conboy and Casey Borer, who were called up in their place.

The Canes' Rod Brind'Amour has had a houseguest the past few weeks and gave him a few basic house rules for his stay.