RALEIGH, N.C. — Kaiden Guhle has a scar about four inches long on his right leg, a permanent reminder of what he calls “the most terrifying moment” of his life.
The 23-year-old Canadiens player experienced this incident during a game against the Winnipeg Jets on January 28th. Falling awkwardly in the third period of the 4-1 defeat, he didn`t immediately grasp the severity of the injury. He knew he`d lost his footing, crashed into the boards, and his left skate had sliced into his right quadriceps.
Beyond the immediate pain, Guhle felt a pressing need for medical assistance.
“These things happen quickly, and you`re not really sure what`s going on at first,” Guhle explained on Friday. This was shortly after his return to the ice, marking two months since surgery to repair the muscle. “Considering what occurred, it was the best possible outcome. No nerves or major arteries were damaged. But in the moment, you`re unaware of that. It was frightening. I hope neither I nor anyone else has to experience that again.”
The accident itself was one thing, but the uncertainty surrounding the potential severity of the injury was another layer of fear.
Guhle visibly shuddered as he recounted the event on Friday.
“When I looked down at my leg, I can`t repeat what I said at the sight of it,” Guhle admitted. “I knew it was serious.”
If the femoral artery had been even slightly cut, the situation could have been life-threatening. The concern about this possibility made the ambulance ride to the hospital extremely stressful.
“In the ambulance, as they prepared me for transport, their focus was on controlling the bleeding. They weren`t immediately sure if any arteries were affected,” Guhle recalled. “At that point, I didn`t know if the artery was damaged, but once we arrived at the hospital and they confirmed the bleeding was stopped, I felt much more confident that I would recover.”
Following a successful surgery, the initial estimate for his recovery was three to four months.
An optimistic scenario of eight to ten weeks was also mentioned, although Guhle himself considered that quite ambitious early on in his recovery.
“Initially, it felt like progress stalled, and I wasn`t improving,” he said. “But then, suddenly, things turned around. I was back in the gym, regaining my strength and working on my recovery.”
Guhle started lower body workouts four weeks post-surgery. A week later, he was skating individually. After rejoining full practices before the Canadiens` four-game road trip that began on Monday, he played 19 minutes and 7 seconds in Friday`s game against the Hurricanes.
“The medical staff and doctors did an incredible job in my recovery and strength rehabilitation,” Guhle expressed. “Thankfully, my recovery was much faster than anticipated.”
Despite the quicker recovery, the 21 games he missed felt long for Guhle.
This injury was another in a series of extended absences for the Edmonton native since being drafted 16th overall by Montreal in 2016. Previous setbacks included head injuries limiting him to 70 games last season, and ankle and knee injuries sidelining him for 38 games in his rookie year.
However, this injury was different – a bizarre accident he won`t soon forget.
The scar on his leg serves as a constant reminder.
While the scar will fade, Guhle hopes this is his last major hockey-related setback as he finishes this season and prepares for the six-year, $33.3 million contract he signed with the Canadiens last summer.
Nothing is guaranteed, but Guhle is now taking extra precautions by wearing a cut-resistant bodysuit under his hockey equipment, aiming to minimize future risks.
