NHL star reveals he had a brutal bacterial lung infection during season: 'I thought I was dying'

New York Rangers prima halfway Vincent Trocheck had a harrowing wellness scare early successful nan season.

Trocheck, 32, revealed to reporters that his 14-game absence astatine nan commencement of nan play was owed to a bacterial infection successful his lungs.

"I had immoderate viral germs get into my lung and wasn’t judge what it was. This happened, I think, earlier nan first crippled of nan year. I thought I was conscionable having backmost spasms, and past I played nan first game," Trocheck said.

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New York Rangers halfway Vincent Trocheck skates against nan Washington Capitals during nan 2nd play astatine Madison Square Garden successful New York, N.Y., April 5, 2026. (Danny Wild/Imagn Images)

"Got a small spot worse. Played in Buffalo. I sewage a cross-check correct successful that area, and immoderate fluid was successful there, it’s for illustration bubbles, and I conjecture nan bubble burst and it spread. So, past it conscionable sewage a batch worse. I had a batch of fluid astir my lung, truthful I had to person room to get nan fluid removed."

The two-time All-Star said he had thorax tubes inserted and was successful nan infirmary for astir a week. He called it weird and wouldn’t telephone it an injury.

"It was very scary. I thought I was dying," Trocheck said.

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New York Rangers halfway Vincent Trocheck skates against nan Washington Capitals during nan 2nd play astatine Madison Square Garden successful New York, N.Y., April 5, 2026. (Danny Wild/Imagn Images)

Trocheck, who starred connected nan punishment termination for Team USA during the Olympics and its golden badge run, said nary 1 knows really nan fluid emerged.

The Pittsburgh autochthonal played successful 67 games this season, scoring 16 goals and adding 37 assists, bully for 53 points. Trocheck recovered himself successful nan mediate of waste and acquisition talks astir nan deadline but yet was not moved.

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New York Rangers halfway Vincent Trocheck skates against nan Washington Capitals during nan 2nd play astatine Madison Square Garden successful New York, N.Y., April 5, 2026. (Danny Wild/Imagn Images)

While Trocheck wasn’t traded astatine nan deadline, he still could beryllium this offseason arsenic nan Rangers look to retool aft finishing past successful nan Eastern Conference.

Trocheck conscionable completed his 4th play pinch nan Rangers and has 3 much seasons near connected a seven-year, $39.375 cardinal contract.

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