The San Jose Sharks were probably disappointed with Michal Handzus last season, but CSNBayArea.com’s Kevin Kurz reports that the big center was hampered by a hip injury.
Kurz reports that Handzus received an “injection” following the Sharks’ first-round exit, which helped him contribute to a silver medal-winning Slovakian team at the 2012 World Championships.
Perhaps Hanzdus’ issues weren’t just physical, though. Kurz also points out that he entered the 2011-12 season shortly after losing close friend Pavol Demitra, who died in the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl crash.
Last season was a difficult one for Handzus even before it began, as his good friend and countryman Pavol Demitra was killed in the Lokomotiv plane crash in September. Demitra had served as Handzus’ best man in his wedding shortly before the tragedy. As a result, Handzus was a late arrival to training camp while attending to matters that were much more important at the time than hockey.
With one year left on his contract, Handzus should have a chance to redeem himself next season.