Chris Kreider’s season ended abruptly, and seemingly without warning. It was Dec. 27 when the Ranger forward was forced to leave the game against the Washington Capitals during the first period.
He had pain in his right arm, but as far as anyone could see, there was no hit or no incident that seemingly led to the injury. That is, until the next day, when doctors discovered that the pain was being caused by a blood clot that had caused that same arm to swell. But as strange as it may sound to those outside the National Hockey League, Kreider’s injury was no fluke.