Changes
Hey Everyone!
It has been ages since I last posted anything, but I want to get back at it. So much has happened over the last year, so I thought I'd fill you in on what's going on in my life.
In February of last season, I was playing a game for the Rockford Ice Hogs in the AHL and suffered a freak injury that ended my season and sent me down a long path of rehabilitation to get ready for the next season. I was driving down the right hand boards with the puck and tried beating the defenseman when I got my feet take out from under me. I went crashing into the boards chest first and felt like someone punched me in the stomach. I skated back to the bench thinking I had the wind knocked out of me. I sat on the bench for about five minutes, trying to catch my breath, but I never felt quite right. I was beginning to think something was wrong. The trainers acted quickly and sent me to the locker room to see the doctors. At that point, the pain was getting more intense, and it was hard for me to even stand up straight.
The trainers and doctors were amazing, and were on top of everything the instant it happened. When I started getting a burning sensation in my shoulders, the doctors immediately called for an ambulance. Apparently that is a major sign of internal bleeding, so they needed to get me to a hospital immediately. Thankfully my mother, who has been a great nurse for the past 15 years was at the game. She was able to ask all the right questions and make sure I was being treated properly. I was extremely fortunate to have her at the game and be able to have her and my father by my side through this whole ordeal.
When we got to the hospital, I took a CT scan, and the doctors fears were confirmed. I had a ruptured spleen, and needed an emergency spleenectomy to have it removed. The surgery went off without complications and I woke up in the ICU a few hours later. It was at that point I found out that my season was over, and it would be a long time before I'd be able to lace up the skates up again. It was pretty tough to swallow, but I had a lot of family, friends, and teammates visit in the hospital to keep my mind off things. The support I received from my family, friends, and the hockey world (including letters from fans) was incredible. I got calls and letters from teammates and coaches I haven't talked to in years. It's amazing how closely knit the hockey community is. Knowing how many people were supporting me and helping me get better, was a great feeling and definitely kept my spirits high.
After I got out of the hospital, it was about 6 months before I could even consider skating again. When they removed my spleen, they had to cut through the main tendon in my abdominal wall. For the fist six weeks, it was pretty tough to even get off the couch. You use your abs for pretty much every movement, and the surgery made mine extremely weak. I was able to start doing a little bit of rehab with my trainers about 2 months after the surgery. I was thrilled to be able to start working out again. To go from skating everyday, to doing nothing for 2 months was brutal. Daytime TV is horrible and I think I saw almost every movie ever released in that time. I was bored out of my mind!
When I got cleared to workout again, I knew I had a lot of hard work ahead of me to get ready for the upcoming season. I usually play at around 194 pounds, but after the surgery, I was down to 165 pounds! I was built like a 9th grader, and none of my clothes fit me. Thanks to my trainers at Poliquin Performance Center, I was able to get back up to 195 by the time August came along and was ready to play again. I was relieved!
I was so excited to get to training camp and try and get back to the NHL, only it wasn't going to be with my hometown team, the Chicago Blackhawks. In mid July, I got a call from my GM, Dale Talon. He informed me that I was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. I was thrilled at the opportunity Pittsburgh presented, but devastated to be traded from the team I grew up cheering for. Ever since I was a kid, I lived for the Blackhawks, and to think I was no longer a part of their family, I was pretty upset. I realize how lucky I am to have played for them and be able to pull that Indian Head sweater over my head. Playing in Chicago is something my family and I will never forget and I consider it a thrill of a lifetime to be able to skate at the United Center as a Hawk in front of all my family and friends for parts of 3 seasons. They are a great organization to play for, and I am thankful to them for giving me the opportunity to be apart of the Blackhawk family.
I am now a part of the St. Louis Blues organization after being traded by Pittsburgh at the NHL trade deadline. I am excited for the new challenge St Louis presents and couldn't be happier to be apart of their organization. I can't wait to go into training camp and show the staff what I can do.
In my next blog, I'll talk about what it's like for a player to be traded mid season, and everything that goes along with that. I will also talk about what I do over the summer to get ready for the season.
Hope this finds everyone well. Until next time,
Richie
- TAGS:
- Danny Richmond
- NHL
- St. Louis Blues
