On Friday, Michal Kempny spoke with the media for the first time since his season-ending injury in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Kempny was still on crutches during breakdown day, just as he was during the White House visit in March.
Kempny underwent successful surgery for a torn hamstring on April second with a predicted recovery time of 4-6 months. He said “for sure” that he “should be good for training camp” in August.
Michal Kempny talks about his injury that kept him out of the 2019 playoffs#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/5OSP4JLCUR
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 26, 2019
“I just felt pop in my leg,” Kempny said of the moment when the injury occurred. “I felt really big pain.”
Kempny was also asked about whether he was as upset as his teammates were about the incident after the injury. The Lightning’s center Cedric Paquette threw some punches while Kempny was defenseless on the ice.
“He couldn’t know that [I was injured] because it happen when I still stand up,” Kempny said. “I just kind of fell down, got a couple punches. But he couldn’t know that. I can’t do anything.”
While Kempny credited the Capitals’ training and medical staff for the excellent care they’ve provided, he will spend the summer recovering in the Czech Republic. His goal is to come back better, stronger, and faster next season, and said the recovery process will begin next week.
“I’ll start put my weight on it,” Kempny said of the rehabilitation plan. “I’ll start walk by myself. Everything takes time. I have to be careful. Maybe next week, maybe after that, I’ll do some strength. But I have to take it slow.”
Headline photo: Capitals
