Mikhail Sergachev returned to the ice 80 days after fracturing his tibia and fibula, playing 9 shifts and totaling 5:48 minutes in the first period during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. His comeback was motivated by the recovery videos of teammate Steven Stamkos, who had previously endured a similar injury. Teammates and fans alike celebrated Sergachev's return, noting the significant effort and mental resilience required to recover from such an injury. His presence was felt strongly, with Jon Cooper highlighting the overwhelming crowd support during his introduction, overshadowing even the cheer for star player Vasilevskiy.
Jon Cooper on the return of Mikhail Sergachev: "Did you hear the introduction? In a normal introduction, you hear all of the players names, there is a cheer, it gets to Vasilevskiy, and there's a massive cheer. I could not hear the PA guy say Vasilevskiy's name. The road just…
Steven Stamkos on the return of Mikhail Sergachev: "I kind of got chills myself with that reception that he got. You guys don't get to see what goes on beyond the scenes and the amount of work that goes into coming back from am injury like that. It's impressive. The timeline is…
Hedman on Sergachev's return: "It was phenomenal. We've watched from close up how hard he's worked to get to this day. Super impressed by the way he played. Big momentum boost for the guys. It's huge. Obviously a tremendous defenseman. Even though he missed a lot of time and it's…
Stamkos on the Sergachev return giving the #Bolts a boost: "I kind of got chills myself just with that reception that he got. You guys don't get to see what goes on behind the scenes and the amount of work that goes into coming back from an injury like that. It's impressive. The…
Sergachev: "I want to thank Stammer actually because he broke his leg and Mikey, our trainer, was showing me videos of Stammer skating like four weeks after. That kind of pushed me and made me work because the first four weeks since the injury, it was tough, mentally. But seeing…
Mikhail Sergachev on his return: "It felt great. The fans were very loud for me and I appreciate that a lot. I felt like a hockey player again. It was unbelievable. Thank you." I am beyond happy for him and his teammates.
Mikhail Sergachev. 9 Shifts. 5:48 in the 1st. Impressive return from a Broken Leg. #StanleyCupPlayoffs
Mikhail Sergachev looks to be back in action 80 days after fracturing his tibia & fibula in his left leg. 👀 Animal. 😤 (🎥: @Gabby_Shirley_) https://t.co/40nCugQYRn