Playing Hurt in the Stanley Cup Finals: When Elite Athletes Compete Through Serious Injuries

Playing Hurt in the Stanley Cup Finals: When Elite Athletes Compete Through Serious Injuries

When the final buzzer sounds, the medical story of this postseason will just be beginning. By the time any Stanley Cup Finals reaches its final game, most rosters include athletes managing injuries accumulated over a long season. Clearing someone to compete at that level is never a simple decision. It involves weighing short-term risk against long-term consequences, and knowing the difference between pain that can be managed and damage that cannot be ignored.