Bryan Bickell

Bryan Bickell
Born (1986-03-09) March 9, 1986 (age 38)
Orono, ON, CAN
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 226 lb (103 kg; 16 st 2 lb)
Position Left wing
Shot Left
Played for Chicago Blackhawks
Orli Znojmo (Austrian Hockey League)
Carolina Hurricanes
NHL Draft 41st overall, 2004
Chicago Blackhawks
Playing career 2006–2017

Bryan Bickell (born March 9, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. He played for the Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Career

He was chosen 41st overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He earned a Stanley Cup ring from the team but his name was not engraved on the cup. On June 24, 2013, Bickell won his second Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks after they defeated the Boston Bruins 4 games to 2 in the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals.[1]

Health issues

Bickell began experiencing symptoms of vertigo that forced him to miss two games during the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals.[2] He initially believed the ailment was caused by an infected tooth.[3] Bickell's agent later commented that Bickell was suffering from vestibular issues, which hindered his performance during the 2015–16 Chicago Blackhawks season.[4] In November 2016, Bickell began experiencing an unexplained pain in his shoulder and leg that caused him to miss multiple games.[5] Doctors later diagnosed Bickell with multiple sclerosis.[5] Bickell commented on his health by stating, "Since the 2015 playoffs, I've been struggling to understand what was going on with my body. Again during the past few weeks, it felt like something wasn't right."[6] Ron Francis, the Hurricanes' general manager, stated that Bickell would take an indefinite amount of time off from hockey to receive treatment for his condition.[7] While Bickell ultimately returned to Hurricanes towards the end of the 2016–17 season, he announced he would retire from playing hockey to focus on his MS treatment.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Blackhawks' late goals stun Bruins to win Cup". NHL. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
  2. ↑ Lazerus, Mark (2016-06-03). "Bryan Bickell out for Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2016-11-12.
  3. ↑ Kuc, Chris (2015-09-15). "Blackhawks' Bryan Bickell still battling vertigo symptoms as camp opens". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2016-11-12. Retrieved 2016-11-12.
  4. ↑ Hedger, Brian (2015-11-10). "Bickell trying to work his way back to Chicago Blackhawks". Daily Herald. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Hine, Chris (2016-11-12). "Former Blackhawk Bryan Bickell on MS diagnosis: 'I'm just uncertain'". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2016-11-13. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
  6. ↑ Williams, Terrell (2016-11-11). "Bickell Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis". Carolina Hurricanes News Release. NHL.com. Retrieved 2016-11-12.
  7. ↑ Elgas, Rob (2016-11-11). "EX-BLACKHAWK BRYAN BICKELL DIAGNOSED WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS". WLS-TV. Retrieved 2016-11-12.
  8. ↑ O'Brien, James (2017-06-21). "Video: Emotional speeches from Bryan Bickell, Craig Anderson". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on 2017-06-22. Retrieved 2017-06-22.

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