Markus Nutivaara began feeling pain in his left hip near the end of training camp a year ago.
A Blue Jackets’ rookie defenseman, he kept his mouth shut and stayed clear of the trainer’s room. He was young, but not naive to the realities facing a 22-year-old trying to win a roster spot on a two-way contract.
Nutivaara made it through the season, eventually alerting the medical staff to his condition, without the numbing comforts of pills and needles. In two playoff appearances, he had difficulty pivoting on his skates — the simple act of opening his ailing hip to retrieve pucks bringing fresh hell.
A year after walking the line between hurt and injured, a healthy Markus Nutivaara is ready to contribute again
