Pascal Dupuis in the Players Tribune: "Why I'm coming back"

Pascal Dupuis penned a piece this morning in the Players Tribune called “Why I’m coming back.” It’s a well-written and straightforward look at one man’s drive to return to the rink after a blood clot in his lung sidelined him last year, threatening his life and career.

Here is a link to the complete piece: Why I’m Coming Back

There are a few key excerpts in the piece, including this one:

“Last season, I knowingly played with a blood clot in my lung for five games. I don’t say that to sound like a tough guy. In fact, the reason why I hid it from my teammates and family was out of fear. I was scared that I would never play hockey again. From the very moment that I stopped lying to myself and slid into the tube for the CT scan, I have been focused on only one thing: How do I get healthy and back on the ice?”

Part of the regimen to return to the ice included taking blood thinner that forced him to literally count the lettuce leaves he would eat daily. 

“It turns out that blood is a tricky thing. When you have a knee injury, your rehab is basically all about your ability to handle physical pain. With a blood clot, the pain is mental. What’s tested is your patience. When the clot was found, I was immediately put on the blood-thinner Coumadin. The weird thing with the medicine is that Vitamin K reverses its effects. So basically everything that you’re told is good for you — such as kale, broccoli, spinach or really anything green — you can eat it, but you have to eat the exact same portion every time. So I’m literally going through the salad bag like, one leaf, two leaf, three leaf, four leaf.“

Dupuis wrote a lot about his family in the piece, how much he wants to be healthy for them, but also shared this:

“Of course, if I’m being completely honest, that’s not the only reason. People have told me I wasn’t good enough my entire life. Not good enough for Juniors. Not good enough for the NHL. Not good enough to play on Sidney Crosby’s wing. Even now, I’m sure there’s plenty of people who have left me for dead. They clearly do not know me. My goal is not to just come back and lace them up for one more season and be a good locker room guy. I want to be an impact player on the ice. I want to be counted on.”

This will undoubtedly be an interesting September for Dupuis, whose comeback has all the makings to be one of the best stories of training camp. At 36, and coming off a major health scare, there will undoubtedly be questions about his ability to return to his previous form. From his thoughts in this piece, it sounds like Dupuis is ready to share the answers.