The Stars defenseman had a tooth pulled during Game 5 against the Avalanche, but was back on the ice a short time later.
How many hockey players do you know who had a tooth pulled during a game and came right back on the ice a few shifts later?
The Dallas Stars have such a player, and the incident took place in the first period of Game 5 against the Colorado Avalanche in their Stanley Cup Second Round series.
Chris Tanev took a shot to the face from the shoulder of Avs forward Nathan MacKinnon on the first shift of the game and went down the tunnel to the dressing room. A few shifts later, the 34-year-old defenseman was back on the ice.
On the surface, it should come as no surprise. Tanev has a reputation of taking a blow that would put some players out of action, only to come back on the ice in the same game or the next.
It wasn't revealed until after the game what had happened. The hit from MacKinnon pushed in one of Tanev's teeth. The Stars' training staff quickly became impromptu dentists and pulled the tooth.
For most people and even some athletes, that might put them out of action for a day and even a game. But hockey players are a different breed when it comes to toughness, and Tanev is in a category all by himself.
"From what I understood, it got pushed in," Stars head coach Pete DeBoer said after the game, which the Stars eventually lost 5-3. "They had to pull it in order to come back. He didn't miss much, though."
The Stars acquired Tanev from the Calgary Flames at the trade deadline mainly to give them a stronger defensive presence. Tanev has more than delivered in that category, but he's also brought a tough-as-nails mentality that has shown itself on numerous occasions during his career.
"He doesn't have many teeth left," DeBoer said with a laugh. "He didn't have many to begin with."
DeBoer may have been referring to another incident that took place in 2018, when Tanev was with the Vancouver Canucks. In a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he took a puck to the face off a Mitch Marner deflection that caused him to lose six teeth and two of his bottom teeth to be pushed under his tongue.
In the second round of the 2022 playoffs, Tanev played in games 4 and 5 with the Flames against the Edmonton Oilers with a torn labrum, separated shoulder and sprained neck.
Last year while still with the Flames, he used his face to block a shot from the Vegas Golden Knights' William Karllson. He didn't lose any teeth this time but did have stitches in his chin.
Not long after coming to the Stars, Tanev had his arm pinned to the boards after a hit in a March 30 win over the Seattle Kraken. He attempted to return to action but was unable to finish the game. But he was suited up and ready to go for the next one.
In Monday's Game 4 victory over the Avalanche, Tanev took another shot that rammed him into the boards. He was unable to practice the next day but was ready to go Wednesday, just in time to lose some more teeth.
Reckless? Crazy? Maybe, but it's the way Tanev plays the game, willing to sacrifice any part of his body to block a shot. That's not just tough, it's Texas Tough.
With a 3-2 lead in the series, the Stars will try and bounce back and close it out in Game 6 Friday in Denver. They'll need more of that Texas toughness from Tanev and the rest of the team to avoid another Game 7.
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