We’re about to add a bit more gas to the “hockey players are the toughest in sports” fire. If you’re tired of hearing about that, turn away now.
Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins reportedly played through a sports hernia all season and now may require surgery to correct it. You read that correctly. While news is coming out around the league about injuries in the playoffs, Bergeron dealt with his all year.
Patrice Bergeron said he was dealing with a sports hernia all year. Surgery could be an option.
— Amalie Benjamin (@AmalieBenjamin) April 25, 2017
A quick Google search reveals that a sports hernia is “a strain or tear of any soft tissue (muscle, tendon, ligament) in the lower abdomen or groin area.” In other words it’s pretty similar to a regular hernia and still sounds horribly painful to deal with.
Bergeron didn’t look quite as good in 2016-17 as he did in 2015-16, but what he was able to accomplish while dealing with a sports hernia is still remarkable. Bergeron’s 53 points in 79 games were a drop from his 68-point 2015-16, but he apparently had an understandable excuse. Despite his ailment, he still hounded the puck and was one of the best defensive forwards in the league.
For the Bruins, Bergeron’s injury is just one of many which helped contribute to an opening round exit. Torey Krug, Brandon Carlo, Adam McQuaid and David Krejci were other notable names who suffered varying injuries at a critical time of the year. It’s impressive the Senators-Bruins series was as close as it was, all things considered.
Now, the attention shifts towards Bergeron’s future. Surgery may be an option, but even then players have dealt with lingering long-term effects from sports hernias long after they’re corrected. Bruins fans should cross their fingers this summer that Bergeron is able to heal up and return to his old form in 2017-18.
