Minnesota Wild forward Mats Zuccarello suffered a ruptured testicle after being punched in the genitals earlier this month, it has been revealed.
During Minnesota’s 3-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens last week, Zuccarello was left in agony on the ice when a wrist shot from an opposing defenseman hit him in a sensitive area.
Eight days later, the full details of his horrific injury have been revealed, with the 37-year-old forced to undergo surgery after rupturing a testicle.
During an appearance on the 93X Half-Assed Morning Show, teammate Marcus Foligno recalled that Zuccarello’s jockstrap left a “huge dent in it” after he took the shot to his lower area.
“We thought he was going to lose one nut, but it survived and he still has them both,” Foligno said.
‘The poor man was hit where the sun wasn’t shining, causing his testicle to rupture. He can’t even lift anything.’
Minnesota’s Mats Zuccarello ruptured his testicle earlier this month, it has been revealed
Zuccarello was left in agony on the ice when a wrist shot struck him in a sensitive area
“It was hilarious,” he added of the dented nut cup. “It’s funny in retrospect, now that he’s doing well.”
Zuccarello is expected to be on the sidelines for three to four weeks as he recovers from surgery on his ruptured testicle.
The Norwegian player is currently in his 16th season in the NHL and his sixth with Minnesota.
He joined the Wild in 2019 after previous stints with the New York Rangers, where he played for nine seasons, and the Dallas Stars.
This year, Zuccarello scored six goals and eight assists in 16 games for Minnesota, which is second in the Central Division and fourth in the league with 27 points in 18 games.