On Feb. 7, Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev was stretchered off the ice at Madison Square Garden with a broken leg.
Exactly 80 days later, he was skating in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Down 3-0 in their first-round series against the Florida Panthers, on the brink of elimination from the postseason, the Lightning got a huge boost to their lineup ahead of Game 4 when Sergachev was activated off long-term injured reserve (LTIR) on April 27.
Sergachev’s swift return was a surprise, considering Lightning head coach Jon Cooper had said as recently as April 8 that the 25-year-old defenseman would miss at least the first round of the playoffs after undergoing surgery to stabilize fractures to both the tibia and fibula in his left leg on Feb. 8.
“I felt like a hockey player again,” Sergachev told media after Game 4, a 6-3 Lightning win that kept them alive in the series. “It was unbelievable. I found out yesterday the [doctors] cleared me, and it was Coach [Cooper’s] decision [if I played]. I stayed at the rink a little longer waiting for the coach to say yes or no. And he said yes. I got very excited.”
The Lightning needed a spark from Sergachev in his return and he delivered, recording an assist and two blocked shots in 17:03 of ice time. With the win, Tampa Bay forced a Game 5 and avoided a sweep at the hands of the Panthers.
Sergachev’s Injury Timeline: ‘We Knew He Was Ready’
Sergachev’s scary injury occurred during the second period of a 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers, when he got tangled with Alexis Lafreniere along the boards and fell to the ice, clutching his leg.
It was later revealed that Sergachev had fractured both the tibia and the fibula in his left leg, and he underwent successful surgery to stabilize both of those fractures in New York Feb. 11. He started skating again on April 8, returning to practice with his teammates in a red non-contact jersey. He was a full participant in practice for the first time on April 20, and he returned to the lineup as a starter exactly a week later.
“You can tell when a player is ready and when a player is not ready,” Cooper said to the media following Game 4. “Yesterday, we knew he was ready. I just wanted to check the box today when he showed up. I’ve seen it time and time again. It’s the look in the eye. He was a believer.”
Sergachev credited Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, who suffered a broken leg in 2013, as an inspiration for his speedy recovery.
“Our trainer was showing me videos of Stammer skating like four weeks after [that injury],” Sergachev said. “That kind of pushed me and made me work because the first four weeks since the injury, it was tough mentally. But seeing those videos of him walking pretty much the next day and doing all that stuff kind of helped.”
Sergachev’s ‘Emotional’ Return Provides Spark for Lightning
In addition to his contributions on the ice, Sergachev’s return provided an instant emotional energy boost to a Lightning team fighting for their playoff lives.
“I got chills myself, with the reception he got,” Stamkos said. “The amount of work that goes into coming back from an injury like that, it’s impressive. The timeline is impressive, everything he’s done is extremely impressive. To go out there and jump into a series when we’re down and on the ropes, it was a huge boost for our team. I thought Sergy played outstanding tonight. Hopefully that continues because he’s a big part of our defense for sure.”
“Honestly, I couldn’t really sleep last night; it felt like my first NHL game again,” Sergachev said. “And then you go on the ice, and you get that [reception] from the fans in the warmup, it made me very emotional. I’m thankful to be here.”
The Lightning’s Game 4 win extended their series against their in-state rivals, and they will look to dig themselves out of a 3-1 deficit beginning with Game 5 on April 29.
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