Zach Werenski’s horrifying wound might just unseat Taylor Hall’s grotesque injury and Logan Couture’s damaged mouth as the grossest hockey wound in recent memory.
If nothing else, Werenski gets the edge over Hall because that wounded moment came in the playoffs.
Werenski returned briefly (following a scary, bloody moment) during the Columbus Blue Jackets’ eventual 5-4 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, but couldn’t return during OT. The reason why? He basically couldn’t see out of his right eye, as NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika and others report.
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We already saw some in-game evidence of the gore when he was able to come back but Werenski himself posted evidence that it (gag) got a lot worse.
Playoff hockey... pic.twitter.com/4GNoLYVECu
— Zach Werenski (@ZachWerenski) April 17, 2017
As a comparison, here’s before the swelling got out of control:
Zach is back! #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/YojrAEzH6s
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) April 17, 2017
To little surprise, Werenski’s willingness to battle through the injury as much as possible gained the respect of his Columbus Blue Jackets teammates:
"The fact that (Zach) came back out...he's an absolute warrior."#CBJ https://t.co/Tp6tcwGmQG
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) April 17, 2017
To even less surprise, John Tortorella provided the money quote:
#CBJ coach John Tortorella on rookie D Zach Werenski: "Balls as big as the building, doesn't he? It doesn't surprise me with him."
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) April 17, 2017
Oh, Torts. Never change. (Note: he might not even change the way he flatters ... brave people.)
As a reminder, there’s still some debate surrounding the goal counting after Werenski was injured.
You’re unlikely to hear any quibbling about the rookie defenseman’s toughness, however ... especially in the Blue Jackets’ locker room.