"Mathew Barzal has not gone this long without playing a competitive game of hockey since he was three or four years old. The New York Islanders' forward last appeared in an NHL game on Feb. 1 before suffering a lower-body injury that ended his season. What followed was an eight-month journey that not only included an extensive rehabilitation process but also a cerebral journey that tested almost every fiber of his being."
"You never know how your body's going to heal, Barzal told amNewYork. Obviously, it's going to heal, but when you go through those dark days, you never fully know until you're really skating. What has emerged from the other side is a fully healthy playmaker with a new respect for the game, his role within it, and the life that he's built from it."
"It was tough mentally, physically, but being here now, I couldn't be happier, Barzal told amNewYork. I feel like when the game gets taken away from you for so long, you have to dig deep mentally. Hockey's so much of my life that when it gets taken away, it's like, what do you fall back on? So I just got to know myself mentally, and I'm happy and proud of the way I dealt with it"
Mathew Barzal missed nearly a year of competitive hockey after suffering a lower-body injury on Feb. 1 that ended his season. He underwent an eight-month rehabilitation that included substantial physical recovery and deep mental work. The recovery tested his resilience and prompted introspection about identity and priorities beyond hockey. Barzal emerged healthy and ready to play, carrying a renewed respect for the game, his role on the team, and the life hockey has afforded him. He emphasized gratitude, mindfulness, and enjoying each day as he prepares to rejoin a team that has changed since his last game.
Read at www.amny.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]