Mike Babcock has seen enough of these to know. Team Canada’s head coach for the World Cup of Hockey held the same position at the past two Olympic Games, and he’s well-aware of how players sometimes conceal injuries.
Which is why when Babcock sat down with general manager, Doug Armstrong, the team’s medical staff and forward Tyler Seguin on Monday after practice, the fact that Seguin’s knee was worse than he let on didn’t come as a surprise.
“The guys don’t tell you,” Babcock said. “Why would they tell you? They want to go. They think they’re going to get better.