New York Rangers star Vincent Trocheck has revealed he battled a serious bacterial lung infection earlier this season, an ordeal that hospitalized him and at one point made him feel like he was dying. The 32-year-old center missed a full month early in the 2025-26 campaign with what the team initially described only as an upper-body injury.
The Hidden Health Crisis
Speaking publicly for the first time about the medical emergency on Friday, Trocheck explained that the infection began in one of his lungs and initially felt like back spasms. The situation dramatically worsened during a game in Buffalo in October when he took a cross check to the affected area.
'Whatever fluid was in there, it's like bubbles, and I guess the bubble burst and it spread, so then it just got a lot worse,' Trocheck detailed. 'I had a lot of fluid around my lung, so I had to have surgery to get the fluid removed - chest tubes, whatever.'
Hospitalization and Recovery
Trocheck was hospitalized for approximately one week while undergoing treatment. He admitted the experience was profoundly frightening. 'It was very scary,' he added. 'I thought I was dying.'
The Rangers player eventually returned to action on November 10, remarkably playing in 65 of the remaining 66 games for New York. He also contributed to the United States winning gold at the Olympics earlier this year, demonstrating his resilience following the health scare.
Impact on the Rangers' Season
Trocheck's extended absence proved significant for the Rangers' struggling season. Coach Mike Sullivan acknowledged the challenge, stating, 'It didn't help. Every team has to endure injuries. We're no different in that regard.'
Sullivan elaborated further, 'What I'll tell you is that some injuries are easier to endure than others, and we had some key ones at certain times in the season that made it tough. Troch is obviously a really good player, an important element of this team.'
The Rangers endured a difficult campaign, winning just 34 of their 82 games and missing the playoffs entirely after finishing at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division.
Trocheck's Career Context
Trocheck, who has just completed his 14th season in the NHL, has spent the last four years with the Rangers following previous stints with the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers. His revelation about the bacterial lung infection provides new context to what was previously described simply as an injury absence, highlighting the serious health challenges professional athletes can face beyond typical sports injuries.
