WARRENDALE — Playing hockey for a lifetime would suit Brandon Wehner just fine.

Not being able to skate for a few months drove him nuts.

Wehner, a senior center on the Seneca Valley varsity hockey team and son of former Pittsburgh Pirate third baseman John Wehner, had entertained thoughts of playing major college hockey.

“I’m not as confident about that anymore,” he said. “I still have hopes of playing junior A-level hockey next year, though, maybe in Canada or around Pittsburgh.”

A year ago, he wondered if he’d be playing any hockey at all.

While playing for the Mahoning Valley Phantoms of the North American Prospects Hockey League in late October of last year, Wehner tried avoiding a check, was caught in midair, his left skate coming across and getting inside his right boot.

The result was a severed tendon above his right ankle.

End of season.

“It was one of those freakish injuries that can happen,” his father said.

Wehner tallied a bundle of goals and assists as a freshman playing on Seneca Valley’s junior varsity team. He did not play high school hockey as a sophomore and planned to play for the Phantoms and Raiders last year before being sidelined.

“I couldn’t get back on skates again until July,” Wehner said. “It was rough. I dropped about 20 pounds because I wasn’t eating. I have no appetite when I’m not doing anything.”

The weight loss dropped him to 130 pounds. He stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 150 pounds now.

Wehner scored his first goal of the season Nov. 29 against two-time Penguins Cup finalist and 2010 champion Canon McMillan. He had two assists through the Raiders’ first five games this season.

SV coach Denis Kirstein said a hockey player’s hands are the toughest thing to get back after a long layoff.

“Skating is natural and speed is a big part of Brandon’s game,” Kirstein said. “It’s the puck-handling skills that take a while. There’s just no way to work on that when you’re not playing.”

Wehner admitted that he’s still not 100 percent on the ice.

“I feel like it’s coming, but not yet,” he said. “It does get frustrating because I feel like I should be finishing more plays.”

He had four shots on goal against Canon McMillan. Wehner has been playing hockey since he was 6.

He had played baseball up until age 12, following in his father’s footsteps to a degree.

“I got into street hockey through a neighbor of mine and that quickly went over to ice,” Wehner said. “I got tired of baseball after a while. I played pretty much every position.

“I never get tired of playing hockey.”

“He liked baseball, but hockey’s always been No. 1 with Brandon,” John Wehner said. “He’s still working on getting all of his strength back.

“If he wants to play varsity club hockey or something like that in college, I’m sure he can. That injury set him back a little bit, but he hasn’t lost his desire to play and excel.”

That fact isn’t lost on his teammates, who voted Wehner as their captain during the preseason.

“We coaches liked his potential as a leader last year, so we named him a captain before he got hurt,” Kirstein said. “This year, the kids accorded him that honor.

“Brandon definitely has some leadership qualities. His teammates have watched how hard he worked and rehabbed to get back. I’m sure that effort has a lot to do with the ‘C’ being on his sweater.”

Seneca Valley has dropped five straight games since a season-opening victory over Bethel Park.

“It’s not too late for us to turn this around,” Wehner said. “We’re playing better. We just need to put the puck in the net and I’m probably at the top of that list.”