[sureLoss]

https://theathletic.com/515160/2018/...-new-approach/

“People didn’t even want me to start the season last year,” Monahan said. “Last year was brutal. I talked to my parents basically every day, my sister. My girlfriend’s at home with me every day – she knows what I go through. I had a lot of people who tried to tell me to stop. But at the end of the day we’re trying to fit in there for a playoff spot and I want to be a big part of this team. So that’s why you play.

“It was more the wrist that people close to me were worried about, telling me I probably shouldn’t play.”

To illustrate, he raises his left arm, the lumpy-looking wrist inscribed with stitch scars. Making a fist, thumb-side up, he indicates the radius bone and claims that last winter he could easily move it in and out of position. “And it wasn’t broken.”

Furthermore, Monahan couldn’t move his ring and pinky fingers – they stayed curled tight – so he needed to manually straighten them with his right hand so he could squeeze on his left glove.

This illustrates why they want Lindholm taking draws for Monahan:

And, as a centreman, there was no way it could heal. The joint took a battering, thanks, in no small part, to his participation in 1,407 draws (of which he somehow won more than half).

“When you take 2,000 faceoffs against strong men every year, it takes a toll on your hands. You go into the draw, you get chopped at least 10 to 12 times on that (bottom) wrist every game. Do that 82 times a year, it adds up.

“My grip strength in this hand was, like, 10 per cent of (the right) hand. So, basically, nothing.”

Also more on his hernias, how he played through a broken ankle in his rookie season and more.