The Boston Bruins revealed some players were dealing with injuries during the season as they cleaned out their lockers for the offseason. Coach Marco Sturm did not disclose all injuries, leaving some details to GM Don Sweeney.
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
BRIGHTON – You had to know some of the Boston Bruins were playing through injuries.
Bruins players met with the media on Sunday for the final time before departing for the summer, clearing out their lockers at Warrior Ice Arena as the offseason begins.
Marco Sturm did not reveal all injuries, saying that decision is up to Bruins GM Don Sweeney. Some of the players got ahead of that and told reporters what they were dealing with.
Nikita Zadorov got ahead of the news after the Game 6 loss, saying that he tore his MCL “off the bone.”
He tore it in Game 3 but did not know the full extent of the injury until after. He wore a light knee brace, then got a more stable one after they determined the injury.
“I don’t need a surgery, I don’t think so,” Zadorov said. “I’m going to have a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday. I think it’s a PRP injection and should heal on its own. I think I got lucky there.”
He said by Game 6, he felt “really good” in the knee brace.
Viktor Arvidsson missed Games 5 and 6 with a broken rib and punctured lung.
“We were aiming for Game 7 to see how it was going to feel,” Arvidsson said about his potential return. “But who knows? I practiced twice, but no contact or anything. So I don’t know how that would have felt, but skating was fine. Just the sudden movements when you have a broken rib, it’s kind of painful.”
With Arvidsson out, Marco Sturm had to separate the second line, which acted as a shutdown line against the other team’s top lines. The Sabres’ first line exploded in the series, finishing with a 6-0 goal differential.
Charlie McAvoy broke his hand in Game 2.
“I got hit in Game 2, and I just went into the wall weird, and I felt it,” McAvoy said. “We saw that one through. I think it was the day after I found out what was wrong with it.”
Some Bruins players disclosed their injuries during the locker cleanout, but specific details were not fully revealed by Coach Marco Sturm.
Bruins GM Don Sweeney is responsible for disclosing player injuries, as indicated by Coach Marco Sturm.
The Boston Bruins held their locker room cleanout on Sunday, marking the end of the season for the team.
The locker room cleanout signifies the transition to the offseason, where players reflect on their season and address any lingering injuries.
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McAvoy averaged 25:37 of ice time in the playoffs, by far the most on the team.
“I tried to do everything I could, the best I could,” McAvoy added. “[Our staff] obviously does a great job with everything. So we had a little cast in the glove [that] we tried to conceal. You know, it’s tough. Right along that index finger there, it’s a pretty weight-bearing one. It’s tough gripping the stick. I’m still really proud of how I played and everything I gave, and I really can’t have any regrets.”
Hampus Lindholm was dealing with a small foot fracture that started in December.
“I had some bumps and bruises,” Hampus Lindholm said. “I had a little small fracture on my foot around Christmas, so that’s something that’s nagging me a little bit, but it’s starting to heal up now, so I can kind of get back to that final process of hopefully having a full summer of training normally.”
Elias Lindholm had back issues, similar to the 2024-25 season, but said he felt 100% “early on” in the season.
“I think it’s been feeling good,” Elias Lindholm said when asked if this is going to be a nagging issue. “I did the same injection [as last year] early on, and it worked good, and didn’t have an issue at all. Felt good coming in.”
He added that contact came off a faceoff, but the “twisting motion” of his back was the real injury. The bus ride back from New York in January did not help.
Pavel Zacha suffered a high ankle sprain but downplayed it on Sunday.
“I had a high ankle sprain, which was nothing too serious, you know, [not] limiting me too much,” Zacha said. “Other than that, it was good.”
Zacha was injured at the end of January and ultimately missed out on representing Team Czechia at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
After the break, he scored 15 goals, the most on the Bruins, but only recorded one in the postseason.
David Pastrnak had a groin tear in November. He said the battle was more mental than physical, as he tried to forget the painful feeling.
He told reporters that it was either a torn groin or a groin tear, and that he didn’t know the difference, so “don’t make much of it.” Once the cameras stopped, he confirmed that it was a tear.
In the last month of the season, he was much better mentally and more confident. He added that he was healthy for the playoffs.
The post Bruins Reveal Late-Season Injuries at Locker Room Cleanout appeared first on Boston Hockey Now.