Every athlete experiences injuries, which force them to miss time from practice or competition and change their daily routines.
Jarred Tinordi of the Blackhawks’ defense gave that idea a completely new meaning during his tumultuous and difficult 2022–23 campaign.
Tinordi sustained three different injuries throughout the season instead of just one or two, and one of them necessitated over 100 stitches on the inside and outside of his mouth.
In the most recent episode of the Blackhawks Talk Podcast, Pat Boyle and Tinordi talked about Tinordi’s injury-plagued season and how he managed to finish it while still wearing his skates and uniform.
Just two months into the campaign, on December 1, the Blackhawks placed Tinordi on injured reserve due to a hip problem.
Despite making a full recovery, the injury persisted until the end of the campaign.
Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson told NBC Sports Chicago’s Blackhawks Insider Charlie Roumeliotis in March, “I think it’s something that I think he knew coming into the season with that injury and it’s just been recurring.” “It either gets enough rest in the summer or it gets corrected at some time. Whatever it is, this summer would probably be the best time to do it, in my opinion.
In December, Tinordi unexpectedly made his way back into the lineup, but his fight was far from over.
On Dec. 9, Tinordi received an unintentional skate to the jaw area from Winnipeg Jets forward Michael Eyssimont just seconds into the game’s first shift.
Tinordi returned to the bench and played out the remainder of the game despite requiring between 50 and 100 stitches inside and outside of his lips.
NBC Sports Chicago interviewed Tinordi in December 2022. “In the moment, I obviously felt something hit my jaw, but I thought it was just the boot or his ankle or something like that,” Tinordi said. “You are not aware of the anguish it causes. You are feeling nothing. I wasn’t sure, but it just felt like something had hit my jaw.
In his debut game without the protective cover just nine days later, Tinordi suffered a slapshot to the face and left the game right away.
At first, Tinordi told NBC Sports Chicago, “It was more shock than anything.” I had no idea what was happening. I sensed that some of my teeth weren’t in the proper alignment and realized that I might be in a little bit of danger.
Tinordi needed surgery to treat several face fractures while staying the night in the hospital. He needed two plates to be implanted because his face was broken in three places, and his jaw needed to be wired shut for five weeks.
Despite a run of what he described as “freak incidents,” Tinordi still views himself as fortunate.
On the podcast, Tinordi said, “They were major things, and that was unfortunate. “I’ve played hockey for a very long time. I’ve never had a skate hit me in the face. I’ve never been so severely smacked in the face by a parkway. So I suppose that’s how I was thinking. You just have to kind of roll with it since these kinds of strange situations don’t happen very frequently.
How then could Tinordi maintain his cheerful outlook despite all of his wounds and while losing 15 pounds from not being able to consume solid food?
“I think the support staff I had from my family, from the rink, from our chef, you know, she was cooking me soups and stuff,” Tinordi remarked. My refrigerator was stocked with soups.I simply threw them into the mixer without stopping. Therefore, it was excellent.
Tinordi signed a one-year contract with the Blackhawks in April, therefore he will be back with them for the 2023–24 season. After a year of hardship and suffering, he claims that the assistance of those within the group will remain with him.
“This organization is surrounded by good people, and that helps you feel better,” he remarked. “When you have so many good people on your side, it’s difficult to be depressed and negative.”