Kraken's McCann Calls Playoff Concussion "Roller Coaster Of Emotions"

While Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann was recovering from a concussion suffered in last year's playoffs, he followed the instructions of the team's medical staff - with one exception.

Back in Game 4 of the first round series against the Colorado Avalanche, a sellout at Climate Pledge Arena held its collective breath. McCann was motionless on the ice, having absorbed a late hit from Colorado's Cale Makar that rammed his head into the glass.

After trainers and teammates helped him off the ice, McCann wouldn't return to the roster until Game 4 of the Kraken's second round series against Dallas. In the interim, Seattle's leading scorer was told to basically do... nothing.

"It was tough," McCann said on the "Mitts Off" podcast. "I had to sit on the couch for a week straight, and I wasn't really allowed to watch TV for a while there. I was just kind of in my own thoughts and just talking to people. It was tough mentally, for sure."

Then there's the anxiety of not knowing what the long-term effects will be. "Head injuries are scary. It's very emotional. After being hit, I was just like, 'What the hell's going on?' I was pissed. It was just a roller coaster of emotions."

Better Medicine Than Chicken Soup

Remember that medical advice about not watching TV? Well, there was one show McCann refused to miss: Game 7 of the Kraken-Avalanche series in Denver. "I probably shouldn't have watched it, but I was watching it." Jared had a viewing buddy, too: Kraken winger Andre Burakovsky, out for the season with a groin tear.

The outcome of the game, a 2-1 Seattle victory and a trip to the 2nd round against Dallas, did wonders for McCann's spirits. "I was so happy!" he said. Still, "It was very tough to watch my teammates, who were grinding, and not being able to help. I missed being with the guys."

Reason For Hope

Now, though, he could hold out hope of returning to the lineup. "One day," McCann recalled, "I felt great. Like, I just woke up, I felt back to 100%. And then I kind of started working my way back."

McCann was back for Game 4 against the Stars, and found out that re-entering the playoffs is like merging onto a superhighway as the vehicles speed by. "The first game was just kind of getting back into the motions, because I was off for two, two and a half weeks. I felt slow."

The Kraken sheltered the winger with limited, 4th line minutes. In Game 5, though, he wanted the restrictor plates removed. "After that (Game 4), I felt great getting back into it. I felt like I could hit again. I felt like I didn't want to be a step behind. I didn't want to hurt the team. 

"I had to go out there and I had to lay the body. I had to show them that I'm good, so I could keep playing. It worked out well." So it did; McCann contributed a goal in Game 5, and an assist in Game 6.