Darren McConaghy

ATC | CAT(C) | DOMP | CSCS
Injury Mechanism Specialist @InjuryExpertz
Injury • Rehab • Return to Performance
Looking for the connections others may have missed.

[Darren McConaghy @ReconHub]

20+ years in pro sport, rehab & performance.
I look at injuries differently.
Here I’ll break down:
• Athlete injury histories
• Complex & recurring injuries
• Return to performance

Not just WHAT happened, but WHY, and what might be getting missed.

[Darren McConaghy @ReconHub]

Interesting that Makar admitted his summer was a grind managing two separate injuries, including a lower-body issue in September. He also reportedly left practice earlier this week with an undisclosed issue.

Given tonight’s seemingly harmless mechanism, I wonder if there’s more to this than the play itself.

[Darren McConaghy @ReconHub]

Nathan MacKinnon's injury looks like a potential hip pointer, but I'd want to rule out injury to the lower ribs, kidneys, obliques and lumbar structures.

The kidneys are retroperitoneal and lie relatively superficially in the posterior flank, with limited protection from hockey equipment.

The exact point of contact may be more important than the force of the hit.

[Gino Hard @GinoHard_]

Nathan MacKinnon left the game in the 2nd period and will not return after this play with Artem Zub 🤕

[Darren McConaghy @ReconHub]

@BodyExplained Makar developed a lower-body injury during summer training that affected his skating explosiveness and required a modified workload into September.

Now another seemingly innocuous mechanism. I’d be very interested to know whether the same anatomical region is involved.

[Darren McConaghy @ReconHub]

@GinoHard_ Interesting that Makar developed a lower-body injury during summer training that required a modified workload into September. Curious whether today’s injury involves the same area.

[Darren McConaghy @ReconHub]

🚨 NHL INJURY UPDATE | NOV 12

• Dylan Guenther (UTA) — Upper-body injury. Injured reserve; out 2–4 weeks.
• Nate Schmidt (UTA) — Undisclosed injury. Injured reserve; timeline not announced.
• Logan Cooley (UTA) — Upper-body injury. Day-to-day.
• Nick Schmaltz (UTA) — Lower-body injury. Game-time decision Thursday.
• Erik Cernak (TB) — Undisclosed injury. Unlikely to play Thursday; timeline not announced.
• Johnathan Kovacevic (NJ) — Lower-body injury. Timeline not announced.
• Noel Acciari (PHI) — Upper-body injury. Day-to-day.

[Darren McConaghy @ReconHub]

Is Steph Curry’s oblique tear really the problem?

Another non-contact injury in an athlete with a history of groin, hip, pelvic and hamstring issues.

At what point do we stop looking at injuries in isolation and start questioning how the entire system is functioning?

Sometimes the injured tissue is simply where the problem finally shows up.

[BrickCenter @BrickCenter_]

Steph Curry got injured after Sengun grabbed and twisted his arm

[Andrew Gross @AGrossNewsday]

Mathew Barzal sheds non-contact jersey for #Isles optional morning skate. In a regular practice jersey. Big step.

[Michael Russo @RussoHockey]

Brock Faber just pointed out to me he’s wearing ear guards now

[Pat Steinberg @SteinbergYYC]

Calgary has activated Devin Cooley off injured reserve.

Cooley is ready to return after missing four games with a lower body injury. Arsenii Sergeev was returned to the AHL Wranglers earlier Thursday. #Flames

[David Staples @dstaples]

And then there were none: All three Edmonton Oilers starting goalies now knocked out of action due to injury or illness.

Newcomer will start vs Ducks

https://t.co/WYeXTVsgu1 via @edmontonjournal

[Darren McConaghy @ReconHub]

🚨 NHL INJURY UPDATE | NOV 4

• Miro Heiskanen (DAL) — Upper body. Day-to-day; questionable for Thursday.
• John Gibson (DET) — Lower body. Questionable for Thursday; no return date.
• Tom Willander (VAN) — Lower body, injured at Tuesday's morning skate. Day-to-day.
• Nick Suzuki (MTL) — Hand injury. Day-to-day; questionable.

[Darren McConaghy @ReconHub]

Great news for Brock Faber.

But medical clearance after a skull fracture isn't the finish line. In many ways, it's the beginning of the next phase of rehabilitation.

There are still significant hurdles to clear before returning to NHL competition.

[Minnesota Sports Fan @realmnsportsfan]

Brock Faber is healthy and has cleared return to play protocol. Once he is in hockey shape again, he'll be back in the Minnesota Wild lineup, per @RussoHockey (who got his info directly from John Hynes).

[Stefen Rosner @stefen_rosner]

BREAKING: Mathew Barzal on the ice for #Isles practice in a red non-contact jersey.

[Darren McConaghy @ReconHub]

What if the very thing meant to restore your health becomes the thing preventing your recovery?

Jarome Iginla's neurological symptoms years after hip replacement raise important questions about potential cobalt and chromium toxicity. His reported elevated mercury levels also warrant investigation into dietary, dental and environmental exposures.

I once worked with a woman whose systemic symptoms persisted despite treatment. She didn't fully recover until her breast implants were removed.

Different conditions, but an important clinical lesson: you can spend years treating symptoms while an underlying contributor remains.

If implant-related toxicity is confirmed, revision surgery may offer a path toward meaningful recovery.

Wishing Jarome the very best. Hopefully answers and better health are ahead.

[Gino Hard @GinoHard_]

Jarome Iginla has revealed to @EricFrancis that he has been dealing with neurological issues and complications affecting his energy, weight and speech.

It's suspected that the complications may be related to metal toxins entering his bloodstream from his artificial hip implant.

While he doesn't have all the answers yet and there is still an uphill battle ahead of him, Iginla says things are slowly improving, thankfully 🙏 ❤️

[Darren McConaghy @ReconHub]

Absolutely heartbreaking news involving Jesús de Miguel.

A forceful blow to the chest can, in rare circumstances, trigger a fatal cardiac arrhythmia known as commotio cordis. Whether that occurred here remains unknown.

A devastating reminder of how quickly a routine sporting moment can turn tragic. My heart goes out to his family, teammates, and everyone involved.

[GlobeUpdate @Globupdate]

💔 TRAGEDY: 30-year-old CD Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel has died after a horrific collision with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono during a 2–2 match

He suffered cardiac arrest, was resuscitated and rushed to hospital, but tragically lost his life

#jesusdemiguel #RIP #dwts

[Darren McConaghy @ReconHub]

🚨 NHL INJURY UPDATE | NOV 2

A.J. Greer (ANA) — Placed on IR with an upper-body injury following Sunday's hit from Dylan Cozens. No diagnosis or timeline announced.

Evgeni Malkin (PIT) — Day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Missed Monday's practice after playing Saturday. Specific injury undisclosed.

Kaedan Korczak (PIT) — Lower-body injury; missed Monday's practice and is considered day-to-day.

Elmer Söderblom (PIT) — Upper-body injury status changed from day-to-day to week-to-week. Already on IR. A revised timeline doesn't necessarily mean a new injury or setback.

Konsta Helenius (BUF) — Upper-body injury; now listed week-to-week. Last played October 27. No diagnosis disclosed.

Bowen Byram (CHI) — Upper-body injury; expected to miss an eighth straight game and undergo specialist evaluation. Skating on his own isn't equivalent to full game readiness.

Dawson Mercer (WPG) — Reportedly missed Monday's practice with an upper-body injury. Team confirmation and return timeline remain unclear.

Sean Durzi (NYR) — Missed Sunday's game with an undisclosed injury he has reportedly been managing for weeks. No specific diagnosis announced.

[Darren McConaghy @ReconHub]

• Mike Matheson (MTL): Lower body, out 2 weeks
• Brennan Othmann (CGY): Upper body, day-to-day
• Adrian Kempe (LAK): Undisclosed, day-to-day
• Colton Parayko (STL): Upper body, day-to-day

[Darren McConaghy @ReconHub]

🚨 NHL INJURY UPDATE | NOV 1

• Ryan Pulock (NYI): Upper body, out 2–4 weeks
• Kailer Yamamoto (UTA): Upper body, unavailable Sunday
• John Marino (UTA): Upper body, placed on IR Sunday

[Darren McConaghy @ReconHub]

• Andre Burakovsky (OTT): Lower body, out 3–4 weeks
• Warren Foegele (OTT): Injured on knee-on-knee contact, out 3–4 weeks
• Devin Cooley (CGY): Lower body, week-to-week