Claude Giroux is only 28, but the pain his body endures during an NHL season might make him feel a little older than that at times.
Last season, Giroux had problems with his hip. He eventually underwent off-season surgery to fix the problem, but he insists that he’s back to 100 percent health.
Not only is Giroux expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, he’s also going to represent Canada at this month’s World Cup of Hockey.
“I feel 100 percent,” Giroux said on Wednesday, per Philly.com. “It’s been a long road, but I was in good hands with the trainers in Philly, and I also got a lot of help [during rehabilitation] in Ottawa and right now I feel really good.”
Giroux had a solid regular season, as he scored 22 goals and 67 points in 2015-16. But the injury seemed to affect him in playoffs where he registered just one assist in an opening round loss to the Capitals.
“It’s hard to say,” Giroux said when asked how the injury affected him in the postseason. “But that’s in the past and now I feel good. I don’t feel like I have a 60-year-old hip anymore, so that’s pretty exciting.”