TJ Oshie hopes he can find answers for his back and return next season, but if he can’t, there’s one player who will be especially devastated if he’s played his final game.
On Capitals’ breakdown day, fellow winger and member of The Right Side, Tom Wilson, spent several minutes explaining Oshie’s importance to not only his personal growth but the team’s at large.
Wilson shared a long hug with Oshie after the Washington Capitals were eliminated by the New York Rangers on Sunday, realizing he may have taken the ice with the Stanley Cup-winning forward for the last time.
Tom Wilson: It was tough, you know? I’m close enough with him to know it’s not going to just be a predictable future for him. It hasn’t been. He’s been battling and clawing and fighting for every inch, fighting for every game at times to get in and leave it all out there.
That last game, it was pretty emotional. You’d think there’s a slight possibility that you may not be able to battle with your brother and really close friend and teammate. It’s pretty emotional.
And obviously, you don’t really know. I hope he can get to a place where he feels like he’s good enough to go. Every day with him is an absolute pleasure and privilege. I’ve learned so much from him. It’s one of those guys that towards the end of the year, I’m like, ‘I’m going to leave it all out there because I don’t want to stop playing with you.’ You don’t want your last game with Osh to ever happen.
It’s one of those things where if he’s good to go, I’m going to be the happiest guy on the planet. He’s a guy we love having around. I’m hoping his health and everything gets back
Like he said, it’s been a tough go for him and it’s a testament to his character and his durability how much he’s done for this team. It’s pretty selfless to leave your body on the line every minute of every game just for to win games. It’s pretty selfless, amazing thing you don’t find very often.
Wilson wasn’t the only teammate to speak Oshie’s praises. Capitals’ center Dylan Strome, who arrived to the team last summer, felt like Oshie selflessly dedicated himself to team success, and making new players feel comfortable in DC.
“Throughout my two years here, he’s been nothing short of an unbelievable teammate,” Strome said. “He’s an awesome guy. He’s a warrior. I said it after the game, the stuff that he has to do get his body ready for a hockey game is pretty incredible. He puts it all out there on the line. You guys could see it in the playoffs. He was working as hard as anyone and trying to make plays and trying to do whatever he could to help the team win.
“The first day I got to Washington two years ago, I went out to lunch with him and Tom. First day I came to the rink. I had known Tom a little bit. I had never met Osh before. Just says a lot about his character and what he brings to the table. He didn’t have to do that. I was coming in early September and just didn’t really know too many guys. I knew a lot of the new guys that were coming to the team but didn’t know anyone that had been here for a while.”
Goaltender Charlie Lindgren called Oshie a throwback player who inspired everyone on the team.
“No one outside our locker room knows essentially what he has to do every day to make sure his body’s in shape to go compete,” Lindgren said. “You look at TJ’s game: He’s not someone that just hops on the ice come game time and just tiptoes around and avoids checks. That’s not his style. He’s a guy that he’s just a true, old-fashioned hockey player the way he plays.
“I can’t say enough unbelievable things about him as a teammate and as a hockey player and just the way he goes about his business, first class all around. And just so thankful for the opportunity to be able to play with him for a couple years.”
If this indeed is in the end for Oshie, he will go down as both a champion and All-Star. He scored 695 points (302g, 393a) in 1,010 games during his 16 seasons in the NHL.
