Washington Capitals Star Lost His Hearing After Suffering A Nasty Injury

With 7:47 left in the third period of a tied 3-3 game, Mantha took an unintended hit from an Evgeny Kuznetsov wrist shot that deflected off Mike Reilly's stick. The puck struck Mantha on the left side of his head near the ear.

In an interview with Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, Mantha revealed that he ruptured his left eardrum due to the deflected shot. He experienced a loss of hearing for approximately six days, and only now is it gradually returning. While the situation was undoubtedly alarming, the positive news is that Mantha's hearing is recovering.

John Carlson, Mantha's teammate, suffered a similar injury from a deflected puck last year. In response, Carlson now wears additional ear protection on that side of his helmet to mitigate the risk of future injuries.

Despite the setback, Mantha is optimistic about returning to action when the Capitals face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.

Source: Bladeofsteel