SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - After surviving a serious beating on a downtown street that left him unconscious for days, Derrick Sangris is back home in Yellowknife.

The 28-year-old was rushed by medevac to Edmonton Sept. 11 after RCMP officers found him badly injured outside the Corner Mart convenience store at 2 a.m.

Derrick Sangris, right, is shown here with his wife Audrey during a vacation in Spain. - photo courtesy of Bebo social networking site

He was unconscious for days in an Edmonton hospital, according to police.

The young man, an avid hockey player, regained consciousness on Sept. 15 and was medevaced back to Stanton Territorial Hospital early last Saturday morning.

"The doctors are saying they expect a full recovery," said his wife, Audrey Sangris, 29.

She was able to be in Edmonton with him along with his immediate family members. They're all "hanging in there," she said.

"We've got a baby coming in 13 days," she said quietly, when asked how she was. "I'm good; I'm tired."

Sangris never imagined her husband would be subjected to an attack like this, she said, and declined to say more, adding, "It's still pretty soon to be commenting on things."

She did wish to acknowledge the community and the hospital for their help.

"I'm thankful for all the support everyone's given me," said Sangris, adding that members of her family will be arriving soon to be with her. There was a possibility her husband could return home on Tuesday, Sept. 22, she said, but the doctors couldn't say for sure.

The Yellowknife RCMP is still investigating.

"The guys are out working on it right now," said Const. Todd Scaplen.

Edmonton RCMP assisted in the investigation while Sangris was in hospital in Alberta.

"Their role would be asking the victim if they're able to help us with any information, if they can recall anything," said Scaplen. "They're just helping us out more or less."