Viral bacterial infection caused Rangers' Vincent Trocheck to miss time early in the season

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Vincent Trocheck missed a month early in the season with what the New York Rangers called an upper-body injury. Turns out, it wasn't really an injury, per se. Trocheck on Friday said he had viral bacteria in one of his lungs that initially felt like back spasms and spread when he took a cross check to the area during a game Oct. 9 at Buffalo. “Whatever fluid was in there, it’s like bubbles, and I guess the bubble burst and it spread, so then it just got a lot worse,” Trocheck said. “I had a lot of fluid around my lung, so I had to have surgery to get the fluid removed — chest tubes, whatever.” Hospitalized for roughly a week, Trocheck said: "It was very scary. I thought I was dying.” He returned Nov. 10 and played 65 of the remaining 66 games around helping the U.S. win gold at the Olympics. But his extended absence was a reason why the Rangers' season went off the rails. “It didn’t help,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “Every team has to endure injuries. We’re no different in that regard. What I’ll tell you is that some injuries are easier to endure than others, and we had some key ones at certain times in the season that made it tough. Troch is obviously a really good player, an important element of this team.” The only game Trocheck missed the rest of the way was a healthy scratch on the eve of the trade deadline in March. He didn't go anywhere, but the soon-to-be 33-year-old is about to be back in the middle of rumors swirling. Trocheck said he and general manager Chris Drury have a good line of communication and he is prepared for a move if one materializes. “Now if something does happen this summer, at least we have time to figure some stuff out,” Trocheck said. "I’ve played in the NHL for 13 years. I know what this is like. I know the feeling. It doesn’t bother me.”

Matt Rempe expects to come back stronger

Injuring his left thumb in a fight against San Jose's Ryan Reaves on Oct. 23 torpedoed forward Matt Rempe's season. The 6-foot-8 forward came back a little under two months later but did not feel himself, a second surgery was required and he hasn't played since February. Rempe expects to be healthy by training camp in September. "I just got a lot of hunger for next year," Rempe said. “I’m just going to come back with a vengeance.”