NHL Player Ruptures Testicle After Taking Hockey Puck to the Groin: Protective Cup Had ‘Massive Dent in It’

Mats Zuccarello of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild suffered an unfortunate groin injury that the team said will keep him out for four weeks.

Zuccarello, 37, left a recent game against the Montreal Canadiens after taking a shot to the groin during the first period.

The longtime NHL right wing reportedly fell to the ground when the injury occurred and needed help getting off the ice, according to Fox Sports.

Zuccarello’s teammate Marcus Foligno later confirmed on 93X’s “Half-Assed Morning Show” that Zuccarello was immediately rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery for the injury.

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Foligno also told the morning show that Zuccarello’s protective cup had a “big dent” after being hit by a hockey puck.

Mats Zuccarello #36 of the Minnesota Wild in a game on October 26, 2024.

Mitchell Leff/Getty

Fortunately for Zuccarello, whose teammates thought he would come out of the operation without a testicle, doctors were able to save the organ during the procedure. “We thought he was going to lose one nut, but he actually survived and still has both,” Foligno — the Wild’s alternate captain — told 93X’s “Half-Assed Morning Show.”

“Poor guy got hit where the sun don’t shine and ruptured his testicle,” Foligno added, sharing that Zuccarello “can’t even lift anything” after the gruesome injury.

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While the injury is ripe for jokes about where Zuccarello sustained the injury, Foligno said he waited until he knew his teammate was OK before cracking jokes.

“It was hilarious. It’s funny after that, now that he’s OK,” Foligno said, referring specifically to Zuccarello’s dented protective cup.

Mats Zuccarello number 36 of the Minnesota Wild in a game against the Dallas Stars on the 21st. April 2023

David Berding/Getty

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Speaking to reporters after the game in which his player suffered an unfortunate injury, Wild head coach John Hynes reportedly called Zuccarello an “extreme competitor” and “such an important part” of the team, according to ESPN.

“He’s got great hockey sense, his value on the power play,” Hynes continued. “But for me, the way he’s come in this year and the way he’s been playing, he’s really a key guy. That being said, he’s been playing for a long time. So I know when he comes back, he’s going to be back where he is. ”

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Source: HIS Education