"They gave me one, but I think they were in a rush to get me playing and cleared me too early." He didn't precisely want to say it, but he didn't exactly regret going into the playoffs. They needed someone. But it was the wrong time to say that.

"I did go out and seek treatment in the offseason with the sports center at Tufts University, but they weren't concerned with rehab, just recovery. I asked the team to let me do that for a second opinion. I brought copies, where should I send them?"

He glanced around. The winger, Greg, he knew sort of. Older, steadier type, looking for a fight for the Cup before he faded away. Hockey was a tough gig that way, with hard seasons, lots of injury and a short shelf life for people that didn't take care of themselves. He was starting to learn that the hard way after his first injury.

"I'm rated game ready by the Caps, but that's probably not quite the case if I get injured fast. We need to figure out a way to keep me from reinjuring and reinvent the fitness from the ground up."