'It's never easy watching': NHLers on mental toll of injuries

Max Pacioretty had just torn his right Achilles tendon for the second time in less than a year. 

The veteran NHL forward was lying in bed — where he had just spent months recovering from the exact same injury — and again had his thoughts all to himself. 

Self-pity as another surgery and long rehabilitation loomed was a natural emotion. 

"Sometimes guys get caught up in 'Why me?' or feel sorry for themselves," Pacioretty, now a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, explained earlier this season. "I definitely did at times, but there's no point in that, it's just wasting energy." 

Getting hurt is part of playing sports — be it at youth level, adult recreation or the professional ranks. 

Depending on the severity, recovery can be long and arduous. Plans are laid out by doctors, trainers and other medical professionals, but the road can be daunting and lonely. 

Healing the body is the focus, but what about the brain? How does the mental side of an injury impact athletes — in this case NHL players — as they work back to full health and have no choice but to trust the process? 

"Mentally is the biggest thing, honestly," said Utah Hockey Club captain Clayton Keller, who broke his leg crashing into the boards in March 2022. "By the time you're ready, your body feels good and it's all between the ears.

"I was surprised at myself (and) how quickly I was able to feel good." 

Katherine Tamminen, a professor of sport psychology at the University of Toronto, said processing recovery is different for each individual athlete. 

"We often hear a lot of anxiety about reinjury — that's a really big one," she said. "Also concerns about having lost fitness. Often what I hear is athletes wanting to get back out there and finding it really hard to restrain themselves or they find it really hard to be held back. 

"I've even heard athletes say sometimes it's better when a doctor or physio tells them, 'No, you can't.' It forces them not to go back." 

Some players speak with professionals — NHL teams have them available — while others lean on those closest in tough moments. 

"My sports psychologists are my friends and family and teammates and doctors," said Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson, who suffered a torn ACL in the 2022 playoffs. "There were many good people I crossed paths with from the point of injury."

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who dealt with concussions earlier in his career, said believing in the recovery road map, while a challenge in the dog days, is key to being at ease. 

"You have a lot of people that have your best interests in mind," he said. "But as hockey player, it's never easy watching." 

Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev, who has dealt with a long list of injuries across his hard-nosed career, said being around the larger group is big help mentally when rehabbing. 

"You've got to find a way to get through it," he said. "Having an environment where everyone's close is huge." 

Tamminen said being detached from that structured setup, especially when teams are on the road and an injured player is alone at home, can be the biggest pitfall. 

"It can get really monotonous," she said. "There's a feeling of isolation."

Pacioretty, who was a member of the Carolina Hurricanes when he twice tore his Achilles, eventually returned to the NHL with Washington last season before signing in Toronto. 

Before any of that, he had serious doubts after snapping the tendon a second time. 

"There are ways you can prevent injuries with certain training and treatments," said the 36-year-old father of five currently working his way back from a separate, undisclosed ailment. "There's also a lot you can't control. So let that go, don't let that linger.

"Times where I thought, 'Is this worth it? But at the end of the day, you only get so many kicks at the can."

CAPITAL RETURN 

The Ottawa Senators are back in the playoffs. The team clinched a post-season berth Tuesday for the first time since 2017. It's been a long an painful rebuild in the nation's capital, but the club sits in the Eastern Conference's first wild-card spot, three points up on the Montreal Canadiens.

BLUE STEEL

The St. Louis Blues sat eight points back of the Vancouver Canucks for the West's second wild-card seed when the league resumed action following the 4 Nations Face-Off. 

Some seven weeks later, they're all but assured of a playoff spot. Heading into Wednesday, St. Louis had gone an NHL-best 18-3-2 since Feb. 22 — a run that included a 12-game winning streak snapped by the Winnipeg Jets earlier this week — that left competitors in the Blues' dust.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2025.