It might not seem like Steven Stamkos still thinks about his right leg when he takes the ice for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The superstar center ranks among the NHL leaders with 10 goals and has a great chance to win the third Maurice Richard Trophy of his young career. With that said, it won’t ever be easy for Stamkos to forget about the horrific injury he suffered on Nov. 11, 2013, against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden.
“That’s the million-dollar question: Is it ever going to feel the same way as before?” Stamkos recently told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. “It may never. I’m hoping one day you wake up and there’s no little pain, no discomfort, just feels like a regular leg. I don’t know if that’s going to happen.”
Stamkos suffered the injury while trying to make a play in the defensive zone. He went crashing into the net, and the impact between his right leg and the post resulted in a broken tibia. The Lightning captain returned to the lineup in early March, but he missed the majority of the regular season and Team Canada’s gold medal victory at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Remarkably, Tampa Bay was able to finish second in the Atlantic Division, but the impressive campaign quickly ended in Round 1 of the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs when the Lightning were swept by the Montreal Canadiens.
The most difficult part for a player who’s recovering from an injury often is the mental aspect. It’s natural to be hesitant to crash the net, line up for a huge hit or make a quick skating move soon after suffering a major injury. Stamkos’ game is built on speed, quickness and agility, which requires two healthy legs for optimal results.
The NHL is a much better and more exciting place when Stamkos is healthy and scoring goals. He’s one of the few players worth the price of admission almost every night.
