The first two months of this season were routine for San Jose Barracuda captain John McCarthy. In his 11th professional year of hockey, the veteran of 88 NHL games with the Sharks was feeling strong and healthy as ever. That was a sharp contrast to how he felt when he woke up on Dec. 10.
“The left side of my body felt weird,” McCarthy recalled. “It’s the only way I can describe it. It felt off, just pins and needles.”
McCarthy's concerning symptoms quickly got worse, so he made some immediate phone calls.
The first call went to his wife, who suggested skipping hockey practice that day to seek medical attention.