‘I was crushed’: Penguins’ Rickard Rakell not letting injury ruin return to Sweden
This story appeared on hockeysverige.se this week and has been translated from Swedish to English.
He is coming off the best point-producing season of his NHL career, and had started this season in the same strong fashion.
Then came the blow that changed everything.
In a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at the end of October, Rickard Rakell injured one of his hands so badly that he required surgery. A rehabilitation time of six to eight weeks was set, which meant he would miss the National Hockey League’s Global Series.
Ahead of Friday’s first game against the Nashville Predators, the Swedish Pittsburgh Penguins forward is present in Stockholm. There, he has acted as a tour guide and event organizer for his teammates. Among other things, he took the group to a spa hotel on Wednesday.
”Everyone thought it was super nice to throw on some bathrobes there and relax for a few hours. It was exactly what everybody needed after a long flight,” Rakell said.
Not being able to participate in the games in his hometown stings quite a bit.
“I was obviously crushed at first,” the 32-year-old admitted. “To come here… I saw the chance for coaches I had earlier when I was growing up, and family from the older generation to have an opportunity to see me play an NHL game. For that to disappear was really tough in the beginning.”
But Rakell says he is still happy he got the chance to accompany the team to his hometown.
“That is how life is, it is not always moving upward. But I am still grateful that I got the chance to come along and show everyone on the team around the city and hopefully give them an experience for life as well.”
Veteran defenseman Kris Letang is likely to get such an experience if he sticks to his desire to try fermented herring. That is, however, an experiment that Rakell has no intention of involving himself in.
“Not a good idea,” Rakell laughed. “I have never tried it myself and I do not think I ever will. But if he wants to do it, I can watch the video afterward. But I want to avoid the smell. I do not want to go anywhere near it.”
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